Classification, clinical findings and operative treatment of degenerative and posttraumatic shoulder disease: what do we really need to know from an imaging report to establish a treatment strategy?

Successful patient care involves interdisciplinary Cupertino. Images allow an interpretation of a static dimension, but may not be sufficient to develop a surgical treatment strategy, since many shoulder problems have its origin in a dynamic pathology. This article outlines dynamic clinical tests of shoulder pathology, classifies various degenerative and posttraumatic shoulder problems and stresses key facts an imaging report should include in order to plan surgery. This article conveys basic knowledge of those tests and the dynamic background of shoulder pathology. Basic surgical treatment principles are summarised briefly.