Glenohumeral Joint Capsule, Posterior View

Description

Posteriorly, the scapula frames the glenoid cavity while the rounded head of the humerus sits lateral to the scapular body, enclosed by the fibrous capsule of the glenohumeral joint. The capsular reflection forms a deep recess inferiorly (axillary pouch), and the capsule blends medially with the glenoid rim and labrum region while attaching laterally around the anatomical neck of the humerus. From this back view, the capsule lies deep to the rotator cuff tendons, with the infraspinatus and teres minor tendons expected to cross posterior to the joint line. Orientation is clear. Superior is toward the acromial arch, inferior toward the axillary fold. A posterior capsule view matters because it localizes the structures stressed in posterior shoulder instability and in posterior dislocation patterns, where the humeral head can lever against the posterior glenoid and injure the posterior labrum (reverse Bankart spectrum) and capsule. It also supports teaching the unequal capsular laxity of the shoulder, with the inferior recess accommodating abduction while capsular tightening in other positions limits translation. For surgical planning, this perspective aligns with the posterior portal used in shoulder arthroscopy, where instrument trajectories pass close to the posteroinferior capsule and labral complex. Orthopaedic and sports medicine texts can pair this plate with clinical diagrams of posterior instability, capsulolabral repair, and arthroscopic portal placement, and it integrates cleanly into gross anatomy or kinesiology modules covering shoulder arthrokinematics and capsular constraint. Radiology educators may also use it to orient learners to MR arthrography findings of capsular redundancy or posteroinferior labral tears. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.