OSSIFIED BRODIE’S LIGAMENT: A CASE REPORT

The transverse humeral ligament (THL) or Brodie’s ligament is a narrow sheet of connective tissue fibers that runs between the lesser and the greater tubercles of the humerus. Together with the intertubercular groove of the humerus, the ligament creates a canal through which the long head of the biceps tendon and its synovial sheath passes. The ossification of transverse humeral ligament is a rare interesting anatomical variation, which has been identified as one of the predisposing factor for biceps tendonitis and tenosynovitis. In the present study of 100 humerus bones, we found a right side humerus with completely ossified transverse humeral ligament which extended from the lateral margin of lesser tubercle to the medial margin of greater tubercle of the humerus. The Length and breadth of the ossified ligament were 8 mm and 6 mm respectively. Such an ossified ligament may damage the biceps tendon and its synovial sheath during biomechanical movement of the arm leading to anterior shoulder pain. It may also complicate the use of bicipital groove as a landmark for orientation of the humeral prosthesis in complex proximal humeral fractures. Hence, the anatomical knowledge of ossified transverse humeral ligament is important for the radiologist and orthopedic surgeon in diagnosis and planning the treatment for patient with anterior shoulder pain.