SARL: shoulder acronyms. A review of the literature.

Acronyms are words formed by taking the first initial or other parts of words from a compound term. They are designed to help communicate ideas efficiently. In the literature pertaining to shoulder surgery, a variety of acronyms have been offered for normal anatomic states, physical examination findings, pathologic conditions, surgical techniques, and outcome instruments, with new acronyms offered each year. The purpose of this article is to review and clearly define acronyms used by shoulder specialists.