Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2003 May-Jun;12(3):247-52

Debski RE, Moore SM, Mercer JL, Sacks MS, and McMahon PJ


Instability of the glenohumeral joint can be associated with anteroinferior capsulolabral rupture. To understand its static stabilizing effect better, the collagen fiber orientation of the inferior glenohumeral ligament (IGHL), a component of the anteroinferior capsulolabrum, was studied with a small angle light scattering technique. Three rectangular samples (approximately 11 x 6 mm) were excised from the axillary pouch, one from the anterior band (AB) of the IGHL and one control sample from the long head of the biceps tendon of 7 cadaveric shoulders. The small angle light scattering technique scans the tissue with a helium-neon laser beam and quantifies the fiber alignment based on the resultant scattering pattern. The fiber orientation was quantified by an orientation index, defined as the angle within which 50% of the fibers lie. The axillary pouch had a random orientation, whereas the AB-IGHL was random with some regions of localized alignment. The percentage of tissue with an orientation index range of 25 degrees to 45 degrees was 23.2% +/- 8.5% and 29.0% +/- 13.1% for the axillary pouch and the AB-IGHL, respectively, whereas that for the long head of the biceps tendon was 61.6% +/- 15.2%. This suggests that the collagen fibers in the IGHL are not highly aligned and the anteroinferior capsulolabrum can be modeled as a continuous sheet. Moreover, a biomechanical evaluation of the anteroinferior capsulolabrum that investigates the possibility that the mechanical properties may be directionally independent should be conducted.