Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Mar;20(1):16-22.
doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2021.01.002. Epub 2021 May 12.

Quadrangular Space Syndrome: A Narrative Overview

Affiliations
Review

Quadrangular Space Syndrome: A Narrative Overview

Tyler D Kemp et al. J Chiropr Med. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this narrative review of the literature is to provide an overview of quadrangular space syndrome with special attention to its clinical presentation, differential diagnosis, and treatment.

Methods: A narrative review of the English-language, peer-reviewed literature was performed using the key words "axillary nerve," "quadrangular space," "quadrilateral space," and "posterior humeral circumflex artery." Databases searched were Medline Complete, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literatures, and Index to Chiropractic Literature. The search period was from 1983 through January 2020.

Results: There were 85 articles selected for this review. A summary and overview are provided.

Conclusion: Quadrangular space syndrome is an uncommon cause of shoulder pain. Clinicians should consider it as a diagnosis after ruling out more common shoulder conditions and examining other concurrent diseases.

Keywords: Arteries; Chiropractic; Shoulder.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Posterior brachium.

References

    1. House J, Mooradian A. Evaluation and management of shoulder pain in primary care clinics. South Med J. 2010;103:1129–1137. - PubMed
    1. Luime JJ, Koes BW, Hendriksen IJM. Prevalence and incidence of shoulder pain in the general population; a systematic review. Scand J Rheumatol. 2004;33:73–81. - PubMed
    1. Mitchell C, Adebajo A, Hay E, Carr A. Shoulder pain: diagnosis and management in primary care. BMJ. 2005;331:1124–1128. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cahill BR, Palmer RE. Quadrilateral space syndrome. J Hand Surg Am. 1983;8(1):65–69. - PubMed
    1. Hangge PT, Breen I, Albadawi H, Knuttinen MG, Naidu SG, Oklu R. Quadrilateral space syndrome: diagnosis and clinical management. J Clin Med Res. 2018;7(4):102–107. - PMC - PubMed