Glenoid Exposure: Tricks of the Trade

Exposure of the glenoid is one of the most technically difficult aspects of total shoulder arthroplasty. The size of the patient, soft tissue contractures, bony morphology of the glenoid and humerus, and the sequelae of previous surgeries are some of the potential challenges to adequate exposure. A thorough understanding of the neuroanatomy and techniques for protecting the axillary nerve, in particular, are routinely used to achieve the correct glenoid component positioning. This article summarizes the challenging aspects of glenoid exposure and outlines several pearls and pitfalls of total shoulder arthroplasty.