A 14-year-old boy with shoulder pain after a football injury underwent shoulder MR arthrography. The study revealed a focal area of cartilage thinning (Fig. 1 arrow) at the central area of the glenoid, simulating a cartilage defect. The sagittal image showed a focal contrast-filled area at the central portion of the glenoid (Fig. 2 arrow). This cartilage thinning at the central area of the glenoid represents a bare spot. No abnormality was identified to account for the child’s pain.

Fig. 1
figure 1

Axial FIESTA image

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Fig. 2
figure 2

Sagittal FIESTA image

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Normally the articular cartilage of the glenoid has the thinnest portion at its center and is called the “bare spot.” It is located at the junction of the middle and lower thirds of the glenoid cavity and used as the arthroscopic landmark. The incidence found in a cadaveric study was 88% [1]. This typical location of the bare spot can differentiate this normal variant from a cartilage defect [2].