[Diseases of the shoulder joint from the orthopedic viewpoint]

The cardinal symptom in all shoulder disorders is shoulder pain. We have to differentiate between genuine shoulder pain originating from the glenohumeral joint and its periarticular structures and referred pain originating at a site distant from the shoulder joint, e.g., the cervical spine or the internal organs. The differential diagnosis of genuine shoulder pain is discussed. The options open to the radiologist for reaching a correct diagnosis in different sorts of shoulder pain are shown.