![\"\"](\"https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/shoulder_bones.png\")
<\/a>Clavicle<\/h2>\n<\/span>\n\n\n\n\nThe clavicle is a sigmoid-shaped bone that attaches the trunk to the upper limb, with its sternal end <\/strong>located medially and its acromial end <\/strong>laterally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n- The sternal end<\/strong> (medial) is convex and robust and quadrangular in shape. It has a large facet<\/strong> that articulates with the manubrium of the sternum<\/strong>, and in a minor portion, with the first costal cartilage<\/strong>.<\/li>
- The acromial end<\/strong> (lateral) is concave and has a small oval facet<\/strong> that articulates with the medial surface of the acromion of the scapula<\/strong>.<\/li>
- The superior surface is smooth.<\/li>
- The inferior surface is rough.
- The shaft presents with a groove for the subclavius muscle<\/strong><\/li>
- Its lateral third possesses the conoid tubercle<\/strong>, and a lateral roughening, the trapezoid line<\/strong><\/li>
- The medial third has an impression for the costoclavicular ligament<\/strong>.<\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Its proximity to the skin surface makes it easily palpable even in overweight individuals.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
You must know how to orient it and whether it\u2019s the right or left clavicle you\u2019re looking at, so use the smooth surface as an indicator of the superior surface, and the conoid tubercle as the indicator of the acromial end.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/clavicle-300x166.png\")
<\/a>Figure 2. The clavicle<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/span>\nScapula<\/h2>\n<\/span>\n\n\n\n\nThe scapula is a large, flat, and triangular bone that has:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Three angles<\/strong> (lateral, superior, and inferior)<\/li>
- Three borders<\/strong> (superior, lateral, and medial)<\/li>
- Three processes<\/strong> (spine, acromion, and coracoid process)<\/li>
- Two surfaces<\/strong> (costal and posterior)<\/li>
- Two notches<\/strong> (great scapular and suprascapular)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<\/span>\n
Angles<\/h4>\n<\/span>\n\n\n- The superior angle<\/strong> is covered by the trapezius muscle, and at rest is located at the level of the second thoracic vertebra (T2).<\/li>
- The lateral angle<\/strong> presents with a shallow, comma-shaped glenoid cavity<\/strong>, that articulates with the head of the humerus<\/strong>, forming the glenohumeral joint<\/strong>.
- Inferior to this cavity, a large triangular-shaped roughening, the infraglenoid tubercle<\/strong>, serves as an attachment site for the long head of the triceps brachii muscle<\/strong>. <\/li>
- Superior to the cavity, a minor supraglenoid tubercle<\/strong> serves as an attachment site for the long head of the biceps brachii muscle<\/strong>.<\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- The inferior angle<\/strong> is covered by the latissimus dorsi muscle. Its vertical position marks the vertical scapular line.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<\/span>\n
Borders<\/h4>\n<\/span>\n\n\nIts borders quite literally resemble a blade (another name for the scapula is the shoulder blade<\/strong>), with its medial and superior borders being thin and sharp, while the lateral border is thick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n- The superior border<\/strong> is the shortest and thinnest, extending from the superior angle to the coracoid process. The suprascapular notch<\/strong> lies medially to the coracoid process (described below).<\/li>
- The medial <\/strong>(or vertebral<\/strong>) border <\/strong>is the longest, extending from the superior to the inferior angles, serving as an attachment point for 4 muscles: serratus anterior<\/strong>, levator scapulae<\/strong>, and rhomboid minor<\/strong> and major muscles<\/strong>.<\/li>
- The lateral <\/strong>(or axillary<\/strong>) border <\/strong>is the thickest, extending from the inferior to the lateral angles, serving as an attachment point for the teres minor muscle<\/strong>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<\/span>\n
Processes<\/h4>\n<\/span>\n\n\n- The spine <\/strong>is found on the posterior surface of the clavicle, dividing it into two fossae.<\/li>
- The acromion<\/strong> is an anterolateral projection of the spine, the acromion<\/strong>, arches over the glenohumeral joint<\/strong> and articulates with the clavicle<\/strong><\/li>
- The coracoid<\/strong> is a structure in the form of a hook that projects anterolaterally, positioned inferior to the clavicle.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<\/span>\n
Surfaces<\/h4>\n<\/span>\n\n\n- The costal <\/strong>(or frontal<\/strong>) surface <\/strong>presents a shallow and concave subscapular fossa<\/strong> that provides space for the subscapularis muscle<\/strong>.<\/li>
- The posterior <\/strong>(or dorsal<\/strong>) surface <\/strong>is divided by a prominent spine<\/strong> into the supraspinous fossa<\/strong> (small and superior) and the infraspinous fossa<\/strong> (large and inferior).
- The supraspinous fossa houses the supraspinatus muscle<\/strong><\/li>
- The infraspinous fossa houses the infrapinatus muscle<\/strong>.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<\/span>\n
Notches<\/h4>\n<\/span>\n\n\nThe two notches face each other<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- The greater scapular notch<\/strong> (spinoglenoid notch) lies between the lateral angle and the attachment of the spine to the posterior surface.
- It connects the supraspinous and infraspinous fossa.<\/li>
- The suprascapular artery<\/strong> and nerve <\/strong>pass around it anteroposteriorly.<\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- The suprascapular notch<\/strong> is a semicircular indentation found between the superior border of the scapula and the coracoid process.
- The suprascapular ligament <\/strong>turns the suprascapular notch into a foramen by covering it.<\/li>
- It transmits the suprascapular nerve into the supraspinous fossa.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
As with the clavicle, you must know how to orient the scapula; the acromion faces laterally, and the spine of the scapula is found dorsally.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/meddists.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/scapula-600x396.png\")
<\/a>Figure 4. The scapula<\/strong> (Credit: OpenStax, CC BY-SA 4.0)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/scapula-anterior-300x286.png\")
<\/a>Figure 5. Anterior view of the right scapula<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/scapula-300x286.png\")
<\/a>Figure 6. Posterior view of the left scapula<\/strong> (with slight lateral deviation to display the glenoid fossa)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/span>\nProximal end of the humerus<\/h2>\n<\/span>\n\n\n\n\nThis portion of the humerus consists of the head<\/strong>, anatomical neck<\/strong>, greater and lesser tubercles<\/strong>, surgical neck<\/strong>, and the superior half of its shaft<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n- The head has a half-spherical shape, which projects medially and superiorly to articulate with the scapula’s glenoid cavity<\/strong>.<\/li>
- The anatomical neck is a very short, narrow constriction that lies laterally, between the head<\/strong> and the greater and lesser tubercles<\/strong>, and medially, between the head<\/strong> and the shaft<\/strong>.<\/li>
- The greater and lesser tubercles are prominent landmarks that function as attachment sites for the four rotator cuff muscles of the glenohumeral joint<\/strong>. In position, the greater tubercle is lateral, while the lesser one is anterior. Between the tubercles, the intertubercular sulcus<\/strong> (bicipital groove) functions as a passage for the tendon of the long head of the biceps brachii<\/strong>. Various roughenings near this sulcus, including the large V-shaped deltoid tuberosity<\/strong>, function as attachment sites for diverse muscles of the region.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The surgical neck lies between the previously mentioned structures and the shaft of the humerus. It has strict relations with neurovascular structures like the axillary nerve<\/strong> and the posterior circumflex humeral artery<\/strong>. Its name is due to the clinical value it has during humeral fractures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
The clavicle is a sigmoid-shaped bone that attaches the trunk to the upper limb, with its sternal end <\/strong>located medially and its acromial end <\/strong>laterally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You must know how to orient it and whether it\u2019s the right or left clavicle you\u2019re looking at, so use the smooth surface as an indicator of the superior surface, and the conoid tubercle as the indicator of the acromial end.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n The scapula is a large, flat, and triangular bone that has:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Its borders quite literally resemble a blade (another name for the scapula is the shoulder blade<\/strong>), with its medial and superior borders being thin and sharp, while the lateral border is thick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The two notches face each other<\/p>\n\n\n\n As with the clavicle, you must know how to orient the scapula; the acromion faces laterally, and the spine of the scapula is found dorsally.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n This portion of the humerus consists of the head<\/strong>, anatomical neck<\/strong>, greater and lesser tubercles<\/strong>, surgical neck<\/strong>, and the superior half of its shaft<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The surgical neck lies between the previously mentioned structures and the shaft of the humerus. It has strict relations with neurovascular structures like the axillary nerve<\/strong> and the posterior circumflex humeral artery<\/strong>. Its name is due to the clinical value it has during humeral fractures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Scapula<\/h2>\n<\/span>\n\n\n
Angles<\/h4>\n<\/span>\n\n\n
Borders<\/h4>\n<\/span>\n\n\n
Processes<\/h4>\n<\/span>\n\n\n
Surfaces<\/h4>\n<\/span>\n\n\n
Notches<\/h4>\n<\/span>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a>Proximal end of the humerus<\/h2>\n<\/span>\n\n\n