Surgical approaches to the shoulder

The shoulder joint is perhaps the most complex joint in the body. Preserving function after a surgical procedure on the shoulder would seem to be difficult. For five common approaches to the shoulder, the application of priorities in shoulder surgery is discussed to illustrate how decisions have been made in the past and how new procedures should be designed. The priorities in shoulder surgery, in order of importance, are (1) to preserve tissue viability, (2) to preserve motor control of muscle tissue and maintain muscle geometry, (3) to achieve sufficient exposure, (4) to ensure postoperative cosmesis, and (5) to preserve skin sensations.