The shoulder is made up of three bones and two joints. This blog will break down the anatomy of the scapula. Part two will cover the clavicle and humerus.

FIRST…

A fossa is a scooped out hollow or depression in the bone.

Process just means bony projection.

A tubercle is a small rounded projection on a bone.

THE SCAPULA

Lateral Border - the outer border of the scapula, away from the midline

Medial Border - the inner border of the scapula, closest to the spine

Inferior Angle - the very bottom tip of the shoulder blade

Superior Angle - this is not the entire top of the scapula but rather just the tip top of the medial border

Spine of the scapula - bony ridge that separates the supraspinous fossa from the infraspinous fossa. The lateral end flattens out to become the...

Acromion - flat, lateral aspect of the spine of the scapula.

Supraspinous Fossa - supraspinous means above (supra- superior- above) the spine (spinous) of the scapula. It’s smaller than the infraspinous fossa but it’s pretty deep. The supraspinatus muscle originates here.

Infraspinous Fossa - large scooped out hollow beneath the spine of the scapula where the infraspinatus originates.

Subscapular Fossa - this is on the anterior (front) surface of the shoulder blade. The subscapularis originates here.

Coracoid Process - beak shaped bony prominence on the anterior surface of the scapula, serves as the attachment site for several muscles.

Infraglenoid Tubercle - bony projection just below the glenoid fossa. The long head of triceps brachii starts here.

Glenoid Fossa - more commonly known as the shoulder socket, the glenoid fossa is the shallow hollowed out space in the bone where the head of the humerus sits