The shoulder joint attaches the pectoral girdle and shoulder to the arm. It consists of three synovial joints, including the sternoclavicular, acromioclavicular, and glenohumeral joints, and an additional, “non-anatomical” joint, the scapulothoracic joint.

Figure 1. The pectoral girdle and shoulder joint (Credit: OpenStax, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Figure 2. The acromioclavicular and glenohumeral joints (Credit: OpenStax, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Description

The shoulder joint consists of 4 joints:

  • Sternoclavicular joint
  • Acromioclavicular joint
  • Glenohumeral joint
  • Scapulothoracic joint (not a "true" anatomical joint")

These joints collectively make up the connection between the clavicle, scapula, thoracic cage, and the humorous, allowing the various movements of the shoulder and arm:

  • Elevation
  • Depression
  • Protraction
  • Retraction
  • Rotation
JointTypeLigamentsBlood

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