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Article

The Glenohumeral Ligaments of the Anterior Aspect of the Shoulder: Anatomical Patterning and Morphometry

by
Emilio González-Arnay
1,2,*,
Artimes García-Parra
1,3,†,
Isabel Pérez-Santos
2,†,
Marye Merce Méndez-Ojeda
4,
Elena Bañón-Boulet
5,
Pablo Díaz-Rojas
1,
Lidia Real-Yanes
1,
Noé Liria-Martín
6,7,
Marta Rodríguez-Padrón
1 and
Mario Fajardo-Pérez
8
1
Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Human Anatomy and Embryology, University of La Laguna, 38200 Canary Islands, Spain
2
Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, Autonomous University of Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
3
MundoFisio (Private Practice), Frontera-El Hierro, 38911 Canary Islands, Spain
4
Division of Traumatology and Orthopedic Surgery, Canary Islands University Hospital, 38320 Canary Islands, Spain
5
Division of Surgery, University Hospital of Burgos, 09006 Burgos, Castilla y León, Spain
6
Division of Pathology, Canary Islands University Hospital, 38320 Canary Islands, Spain
7
Technical Department, Canarian Network of Pathology, 38206 Canary Islands, Spain
8
Ultradissection (Private Practice), 28049 Madrid, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2026, 11(2), 209; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk11020209
Submission received: 2 April 2026 / Revised: 20 May 2026 / Accepted: 23 May 2026 / Published: 26 May 2026
(This article belongs to the Section Functional Anatomy and Musculoskeletal System)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

Background: The glenohumeral ligaments are key stabilizers of the glenohumeral joint. Three distinct fascicles are usually described from the anterior surface of the shoulder joint: a superior glenohumeral ligament (SGHL); a middle glenohumeral ligament (MGHL); and an anteroinferior glenohumeral ligament (AIGHL). A remarkable interindividual variation has been reported, and there are few data about the patterns of insertion of these ligaments. A recent study provided a much-needed insight into the quantitative details of the glenohumeral ligament insertions. However, there is a lack of studies describing linear measurements (closer to real-life surgical anatomy) of glenohumeral ligamentous insertions according to their pattern. Methods: Hereby, we present a Thiel-based anatomical study describing proximal (glenoid) insertions of glenohumeral ligaments in 39 specimens from volunteer body donors to the Applied Anatomy Laboratory at the Autonomous University of Madrid. Results: Only 30.8% of cases showed a canonical pattern of SGHL, MGHL, and AIGHL, with scapular insertions ranging from 0.28 to 1.58 cm for SGHL, 0.1–3.6 cm for MGHL, and 0.45–2.05 cm for AIGHL, frequently mixed between the labrum and the osseous edge of the glenoid surface. Most cases show a single glenohumeral ligament inserted, usually in the labrum. A wide range of patterns regarding the number of insertions and their labral or osseous nature is present in our sample. Conclusions: Overall, there are three different patterns of glenohumeral ligaments in the anterior aspect of the shoulder joint, with the canonical pattern (three ligaments) represented in less than half of the cases. The morphometric study of the glenohumeral ligaments should consider their pattern of distribution. Also, insertions vary between the labrum and the scapular osseous articular surface.
Keywords: rotator cuff; shoulder; glenohumeral; anatomy; ligament rotator cuff; shoulder; glenohumeral; anatomy; ligament

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MDPI and ACS Style

González-Arnay, E.; García-Parra, A.; Pérez-Santos, I.; Méndez-Ojeda, M.M.; Bañón-Boulet, E.; Díaz-Rojas, P.; Real-Yanes, L.; Liria-Martín, N.; Rodríguez-Padrón, M.; Fajardo-Pérez, M. The Glenohumeral Ligaments of the Anterior Aspect of the Shoulder: Anatomical Patterning and Morphometry. J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2026, 11, 209. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk11020209

AMA Style

González-Arnay E, García-Parra A, Pérez-Santos I, Méndez-Ojeda MM, Bañón-Boulet E, Díaz-Rojas P, Real-Yanes L, Liria-Martín N, Rodríguez-Padrón M, Fajardo-Pérez M. The Glenohumeral Ligaments of the Anterior Aspect of the Shoulder: Anatomical Patterning and Morphometry. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. 2026; 11(2):209. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk11020209

Chicago/Turabian Style

González-Arnay, Emilio, Artimes García-Parra, Isabel Pérez-Santos, Marye Merce Méndez-Ojeda, Elena Bañón-Boulet, Pablo Díaz-Rojas, Lidia Real-Yanes, Noé Liria-Martín, Marta Rodríguez-Padrón, and Mario Fajardo-Pérez. 2026. "The Glenohumeral Ligaments of the Anterior Aspect of the Shoulder: Anatomical Patterning and Morphometry" Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology 11, no. 2: 209. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk11020209

APA Style

González-Arnay, E., García-Parra, A., Pérez-Santos, I., Méndez-Ojeda, M. M., Bañón-Boulet, E., Díaz-Rojas, P., Real-Yanes, L., Liria-Martín, N., Rodríguez-Padrón, M., & Fajardo-Pérez, M. (2026). The Glenohumeral Ligaments of the Anterior Aspect of the Shoulder: Anatomical Patterning and Morphometry. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 11(2), 209. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk11020209

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