Ultrasonography study of the suprascapular nerve

Area of Science:

• Anatomy
• Medical Imaging
• Neurology

Background:

• The suprascapular nerve (SSN) is crucial for shoulder function.
• Accurate anatomical assessment of the SSN is important for diagnosing and treating shoulder pathologies.
• Ultrasonography offers a non-invasive method for visualizing peripheral nerves.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the ultrasonographic assessability of the suprascapular nerve (SSN).
• To determine the feasibility of using ultrasonography to visualize the entire SSN in cadavers and healthy volunteers.
• To identify key anatomical landmarks for SSN ultrasonography.

Main Methods:

• Needle placement at the SSN origin in four cadavers, confirmed by dissection.
• Sixty ultrasonography scans of the entire SSN were performed by two blinded radiologists in 30 healthy volunteers.
• Assessment of the SSN at five predefined anatomical landmarks.

Main Results:

• Dissection confirmed accurate needle placement at the SSN origin in cadavers.
• Excellent interobserver reliability (ICC=0.7-1) was found for describing the SSN at five landmarks.
• No significant differences were observed between radiologists in nerve size and depth measurements.

Conclusions:

• Ultrasonography is a feasible method for assessing the suprascapular nerve (SSN) at five anatomical landmarks.
• The supraclavicular portion of the SSN was more consistently visualized than the scapular portion.
• A segment of the SSN was not consistently visible between the supraclavicular and scapular portions.