This cadaveric study tested whether superior tilt of the glenoid is linked to full-thickness rotator cuff tears. Using eight matched pairs of shoulders (one torn, one intact per cadaver), the authors compared glenoid inclination angles. A second arm validated a reproducible way to measure the angle on clinical Grashey view radiographs.
Think of the glenoid as a ramp: the more it tilts superiorly, the more of the joint force becomes upward shear that the smooth articular surface cannot hold.
That shear lets the humeral head migrate superiorly with less deltoid effort, pinching the supraspinatus and driving degeneration. This is the same superior-migration story you already associate with the hooked acromion, now framed as a scapular geometry problem.
For boards, remember the numbers: torn shoulders averaged 98.6° versus 91.0° for intact, and inclination is measured relative to the scapular spine because that spine divides supraspinatus from infraspinatus.
The hard limit is causality. With eight cadaver pairs and a cross-sectional design, you cannot tell whether the tilt caused the tear or the tear remodeled the glenoid. Treat glenoid inclination as an associated risk marker, not a proven cause.
This cadaveric study tested whether superior tilt of the glenoid is linked to full-thickness rotator cuff tears. Using eight matched pairs of shoulders (one torn, one intact per cadaver), the authors compared glenoid inclination angles. A second arm validated a reproducible way to measure the angle on clinical Grashey view radiographs.
Think of the glenoid as a ramp: the more it tilts superiorly, the more of the joint force becomes upward shear that the smooth articular surface cannot hold.
That shear lets the humeral head migrate superiorly with less deltoid effort, pinching the supraspinatus and driving degeneration. This is the same superior-migration story you already associate with the hooked acromion, now framed as a scapular geometry problem.
For boards, remember the numbers: torn shoulders averaged 98.6° versus 91.0° for intact, and inclination is measured relative to the scapular spine because that spine divides supraspinatus from infraspinatus.
The hard limit is causality. With eight cadaver pairs and a cross-sectional design, you cannot tell whether the tilt caused the tear or the tear remodeled the glenoid. Treat glenoid inclination as an associated risk marker, not a proven cause.