Pearl reviews proximal humeral anatomy as it specifically relates to shoulder arthroplasty implant design and surgical technique. The paper synthesizes anatomic studies from the 1990s to characterize the normal variability in retroversion, head-shaft angle, offset, and head geometry, then traces how that variability shaped modern prosthetic design philosophies and osteotomy strategies.
When planning shoulder arthroplasty, know your implant system's philosophy: variable-inclination systems demand accurate identification of the anatomic neck, while fixed-inclination systems require deliberate osteotomy adjustment — and in either case, the 3–4 mm eccentric offset mechanism is your intraoperative tool for correcting medial and posterior head displacement without revising the cut.
Pearl reviews proximal humeral anatomy as it specifically relates to shoulder arthroplasty implant design and surgical technique. The paper synthesizes anatomic studies from the 1990s to characterize the normal variability in retroversion, head-shaft angle, offset, and head geometry, then traces how that variability shaped modern prosthetic design philosophies and osteotomy strategies.
When planning shoulder arthroplasty, know your implant system's philosophy: variable-inclination systems demand accurate identification of the anatomic neck, while fixed-inclination systems require deliberate osteotomy adjustment — and in either case, the 3–4 mm eccentric offset mechanism is your intraoperative tool for correcting medial and posterior head displacement without revising the cut.