Subchondral Bone Radiodensity Patterns in the Glenoid Fossa of Ape and Human Scapulae

Regions of denser subchondral bone deep to a joint's articular surface indicate locations where the joint experiences relatively higher or more frequent compressive trans-articular forces than less dense regions. Human clinically focused studies have hypothesized that regional variation of acquired with computed tomography osteoabsorptiomety (CT-OAM), in the scapular glenoid fossa (GF) is specifically related to forces arising from everyday rotator cuff muscle function. We test this hypothesis by investigating the relationship between rotator cuff function and GF HiRD subchondral bone patterns in a broader comparative context. CT-OAM was used on scapulae of chimpanzees, gibbons and humans to visualize HiRD subchondral bone patterns and assess regional (anterior-posterior; superior-inferior) differences in HiRD concentrations within each group. Like patterns observed in humans, ape GFs show HiRD concentrations in anterior, posterior and superior regions. Gibbons exhibit significantly larger concentrations anteriorly, probably serving as a skeletal correlate of increased subscapularis activity during humeral internal rotation during arm-swinging locomotion. Chimpanzees exhibit relatively larger areas posteriorly (though not statistically significant), conceivably serving as a correlate of increased infraspinatus activity during humeral external rotation and retraction during knuckle-walking. All groups show relatively larger HiRD areas superiorly, likely correlating with forceful humeral abduction (rather than adduction) during routine upper limb use across behaviors. Subchondral bone HiRD patterns in the GF appear to correspond with normal and unbalanced rotator cuff activity and force production not only in humans, but also in other primates, thereby corroborating their value in human clinical studies and functional morphology research. Anat Rec, 301:776-785, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.