Introduction
Humeroscapular periarthritis is a group of mostly soft-tissue disorders around the shoulder: the rotator cuff tendons, the subacromial bursa, the long head of biceps tendon and the glenohumeral capsule. In occupational medicine it matters because repetitive, forceful or sustained elevation of the arm is a classic cause. A good exam answer defines the group, explains how work loads the periarticular structures, describes the main entities and their signs, and shows how the disorder is diagnosed, treated and assessed for work capacity.
Definition and classification
The term covers several overlapping conditions that are often treated together:
- Rotator cuff tendinopathy and impingement syndrome: degeneration or inflammation of the supraspinatus and neighbouring tendons under the acromion.
- Subacromial bursitis: inflammation of the subacromial-subdeltoid bursa, usually coexisting with impingement.
- Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder): fibrosis and contracture of the glenohumeral joint capsule with loss of active and passive movement.
- Biceps tendinitis: inflammation of the long head of the biceps tendon in the bicipital groove.