Glenohumeral Joint Capsule, Posterior View

Description

Oriented from a posterior perspective, the glenohumeral joint capsule envelops the humeral head as it articulates with the glenoid cavity of the scapula, with the glenoid labrum forming a fibrocartilaginous rim around the glenoid margin. Superiorly, the capsule blends with the rotator cuff tendons near their insertions on the greater tubercle, and posteriorly it spans from the posterior glenoid neck to the anatomic neck of the humerus. Medial to the joint, the scapular body and adjacent ribs provide a thoracic backdrop, while the clavicle and scapular spine help frame the shoulder girdle. Spatial relationships are clear. Posterior capsulolabral anatomy matters because this is the tissue you interrogate when evaluating instability patterns and labral pathology, including posterior labral tears and combined lesions that extend superiorly toward the biceps anchor. The relative thinness of the posterior capsule compared with the reinforced anterior capsule helps explain why posterior instability can follow seizures, electrical injury, or axial loading in flexion, adduction, and internal rotation, and why capsular plication targets this region in selected cases. For teaching, the labrum’s position at the glenoid rim also clarifies why detachment reduces concavity compression and increases translation even when the rotator cuff remains intact. Use this artwork in gross anatomy and orthopaedics teaching to pair capsule and labrum morphology with shoulder biomechanics, and in sports medicine or radiology materials when explaining MR arthrography findings such as posterior Bankart lesions and capsular redundancy. It also supports surgical education for posterior labral repair and posterior capsulorrhaphy by keeping landmarks, attachment sites, and tissue planes consistent with Terminologia Anatomica. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.