The glenoid is the shallow, pear-shaped articular socket of the scapula that receives the humeral head at the glenohumeral joint. Its surface covers only 25 to 30 percent of the humeral head, making it inherently unstable and dependent on the labrum (which adds 22 percent depth) and soft tissue restraints for stability. Glenoid bone loss from recurrent dislocation or fracture is the primary indication for bony stabilisation procedures.
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| Landmarks |
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| Ossification | The glenoid ossifies from a secondary apophyseal centre appearing at puberty and fusing in the late teens to early twenties. |
The critical threshold of glenoid bone loss for shoulder instability surgery is approximately 20 to 25 percent of the glenoid width, below this threshold, soft tissue Bankart repair is adequate; above it, bony augmentation (Latarjet, iliac crest graft) is required. Bony Bankart lesions from recurrent dislocations produce the inverted pear glenoid shape on 3D CT reconstruction. The glenoid version (normally 2 to 8 degrees of retroversion) determines instability direction, excessive anteversion predisposes to anterior instability.
An anterior shoulder dislocation can fracture the anteroinferior glenoid rim, increasing recurrent instability.
Intra-articular fractures from high-energy trauma may need fixation if the joint surface is displaced.
A tear of the superior labrum at the biceps anchor on the glenoid, common in throwing athletes.
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