MRI of the Shoulder: Utilizing the Glenoid Clockface Orientation

Orthopedic surgeons describe the glenoid fossa as the face of a clock, with the longitudinal axis defined by the supraglenoid tubercle at the 12:00 position and the inferior margin of the glenoid at the 6:00 position. Orienting the shoulder MRI exam relative to this clockface is ideal as it results in images which consistently correspond with the arthroscopists’ perspective and optimally profiles the major anatomic structures of the glenohumeral joint.
In this article, Steven D. Needell, M.D. (Boca Radiology Group, P.A., Boca Raton, FL, USA) describes how to use the technique and shows its advantages in clinical cases.