ANATOMICAL STUDY FOR THE PATHOGENESIS OF ACROMIAL SPUR UTILIZING MACERATED SKELETONS

Abstract

In clarifying the pathogenesis of an acromial spur formation, sixty macerated whole body skeletons were studied by utilizing visual measurement. The criterion for judging the presence of spurs was determined as spurs: >3 mm. Spur formation at eight different extra-spinal skeletal bones was measured bilaterally. Additionally, the morphological features of acromial spurs were classified. Comparative study on the paired acromial spur, both in the length and the morphology, was demonstrated to be significantly symmetric. Moreover, in the case of bilateral giant acromial spur presence: >4 mm, three out of six were associated with skeletal hyperostosis. Impingement and overuse have been considered to be the common preceding factors in acromial spurs. Based on our study, two additional factors might be proposed. It may either be due to a local finding of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis or to intrinsic factors.