Human Evolution and Tears of the Rotator Cuff

Overview

Journal Int Orthop

Specialty Orthopedics

Date 2013 Dec 11

PMID 24323350

Citations 8

Authors

Johnathan D Craik

Ravi Mallina

Vijayraj Ramasamy

Nick J Little

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: Humans differ from other great ape species in their propensity to develop tears of the rotator cuff. The aim of this study was to compare the anatomical risk factors for subacromial impingement and rotator cuff tears amongst the great apes and to determine which features may be accentuated in humans and therefore play a more significant role in disease aetiology.

Methods: Orthogonal digital photographs of 22 human, 17 gorilla, 13 chimpanzee and 12 orangutan dry bone scapula specimens oriented in the glenoid plane were taken. Anatomical measurements were preformed using a calibrated digital image technique and the results scaled according to scapula vertebral border length.

Results: Of the ten anatomical features associated with subacromial impingement and rotator cuff tears in humans, none were shown to be accentuated and significantly different to the other species studied. However the human supraspinatus fossa was shown to be significantly smaller.

Conclusions: These results indicate that an alternative primary aetiological factor for rotator cuff tears must exist. A reduction in the size of the supraspinatus fossa in human scapulae suggests that structural insufficiency of the supraspinatus or a change in rotator cuff force vectors could play a role.

Citing Articles

A comparative probabilistic analysis of human and chimpanzee rotator cuff functional capacity.

MacLean K, Langenderfer J, Dickerson C J Anat. 2023; 243(3):431-447.

PMID: 37186281 PMC: 10439372. DOI: 10.1111/joa.13882.

Scapular morphology of great apes and humans: A three-dimensional computed tomography-based comparative study.

Vermeulen V, Kozma E, Delsupehe A, Cornillie P, Stock E, Van Tongel A J Anat. 2022; 242(2):164-173.

PMID: 36302086 PMC: 9877474. DOI: 10.1111/joa.13784.

The metabolic landscape in chronic rotator cuff tear reveals tissue-region-specific signatures.

Olie C, Van Zeijl R, Abdellaoui S, Kolk A, Overbeek C, Nelissen R J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2021; 13(1):532-543.

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Exploring the functional morphology of the Gorilla shoulder through musculoskeletal modelling.

van Beesel J, Hutchinson J, Hublin J, Melillo S J Anat. 2021; 239(1):207-227.

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Rotator cuff tears: An evidence based approach.

Sambandam S, Khanna V, Gul A, Mounasamy V World J Orthop. 2015; 6(11):902-18.

PMID: 26716086 PMC: 4686437. DOI: 10.5312/wjo.v6.i11.902.

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