Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Nicoletti D, Knipe H, Furaiji H, Humeral head bare area. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 25 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-157226
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Henry Knipe had the following disclosures:
- Micro-X Ltd, Shareholder (past)
These were assessed during peer review and were determined to
not be relevant to the changes that were made.
View Henry Knipe's current disclosures
The humeral head bare area generally refers to the infraspinatus bare area. Another bare area may also be seen on the anterior surface of the humeral head superior to the attachment of the subscapularis tendon ref.
The infraspinatus bare area is found at the posterosuperior surface of the humeral head that is not covered by cartilage, limited anteriorly by the cartilage and posteriorly by the insertion of the infraspinatus tendon 1-4. It is roughly trapezoid in shape, measuring approximately 25 mm in length and 5-10 mm in width, becoming wider inferiorly 4.
This area enlarges with age, and subcortical pseudocysts, lined with collagenous fibro-connective tissue connected to the joint spaces, may appear in this area and do not represent a degenerative change 1-3.
History and etymology
The presence of a bare area of bone on the posterolateral surface of the humeral head was first described by A F De Palma ref.
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1. Anthony F. De Palma. Surgery of the Shoulder. (1973) ISBN: 0397503016 - Google Books
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2. Mangi M, Zadow S, Lim W. Cystic Lesions of the Humeral Head on Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Pictorial Review. Quant Imaging Med Surg. 2022;12(8):4304-15. doi:10.21037/qims-22-108 - Pubmed
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3. Jin W, Ryu K, Park Y, Lee W, Ko S, Yang D. Cystic Lesions in the Posterosuperior Portion of the Humeral Head on MR Arthrography: Correlations with Gross and Histologic Findings in Cadavers. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2005;184(4):1211-5. doi:10.2214/ajr.184.4.01841211 - Pubmed
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4. Farooq H, Salazar D, Meldau J, Schoenfeldt T, Garbis N. Describing the Infraspinatus Bare Area of the Proximal Humerus: An Anatomic Cadaveric Study. Shoulder & Elbow. 2024. doi:10.1177/17585732241229068
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