A Focus on Personalized Care in Light of New Diagnostic and Therapeutic Pathways of Shoulder and Elbow Disease

The shoulder is a complex system of functionally interconnected and coordinated joints. Together with the elbow joint and the hand, it guides and stabilizes the reaching movement of the upper limb. The functional role of the shoulder and elbow is twofold: to provide stability to the joint complex and to allow for a wide range of motion in the shoulder girdle and, through the elbow joint, to allow for quick and precise movements. These conditions—“stability”, “freedom of movement”, and “speed”—are lost if any of the numerous anatomical components are damaged by trauma, inflammation, or the peripheral or central nervous system.