Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Measuring 3D In-vivo Shoulder Kinematics using Biplanar Videoradiography
Published on: March 12, 2021
Humeral head translation decreases with muscle loading
Angela E Kedgley1, Geoffrey A Mackenzie, Louis M Ferreira
1Bioengineering Research Laboratory, Hand and Upper Limb Centre, St Joseph's Health Care London, London, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract:
This study was conducted to determine the effect of in vitro passive and active loading on humeral head translation during glenohumeral abduction. A shoulder simulator produced unconstrained active abduction of the humerus in 8 specimens. Loading of the supraspinatus, subscapularis, infraspinatus/teres minor, and anterior, middle, and posterior deltoid muscles was simulated by use of 4 different sets of loading ratios. Significantly greater translations of the humeral head occurred both in 3 dimensions (P < .001) and in the sagittal plane (P < .005) during passive motion when compared with active motion from 30 degrees to 70 degrees of abduction. In the sagittal plane, passive abduction experienced a resultant translation of 3.8 +/- 1.0 mm whereas the active loading ratios averaged 2.3 +/- 1.0 mm. There were no significant differences in the translations that were produced by the 4 sets of muscle-loading ratios used to achieve active motions. This study emphasizes the importance of the musculature in maintaining normal ball-and-socket kinematics of the shoulder.
Related Concept Videos
Bones of the Upper Limb: Humerus
Muscles that Move the Arm
The pectoralis major has two origins. Its clavicular head originates on the medial half of the clavicle. In contrast, the sternocostal head originates on the costal cartilages of ribs 1-6, the sternum, and the aponeurosis of the external oblique of the...
Bones of the Lower Limb: Femur and Patella
Translation
Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from the genetic information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA). Following transcription, it constitutes the final step in the expression of genes. This process is carried out by ribosomes, complexes of protein and specialized RNA molecules. Ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA), and other proteins produce a chain of amino acids—the polypeptide—as the end product of translation.
Translation Produces the Building Blocks of Life
Translation
Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from the genetic information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA). Following transcription, it constitutes the final step in the expression of genes. This process is carried out by ribosomes, complexes of protein and specialized RNA molecules. Ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA), and other proteins produce a chain of amino acids—the polypeptide—as the end product of translation.
Translation Produces the Building Blocks of Life
Muscles of the Shoulder
Anterior Thoracic Muscles
The anterior thoracic muscles include the serratus anterior, subclavius, and...

