The Shoulder

MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS
REHABILITATION SCIENCES DEPARTMENT
Functional Anatomy of the Shoulder and Pectoral Girdle

Shoulder complex: Two philosophical concepts for considering the shoulder complex are:
	1. by itself it has no reason for being;
	2. its ultimate reason for being is placement of the hand in a position to do functional or useful work.
Support of the shoulder is via the pectoral girdle, consisting of the:
	1. Clavicle, which is the S shaped, anterior part of the pectoral girdle (Netter: 395). Note: Sternal and acromial extremities, groove for the subclavius, costoclavicular ligament impression, trapezoid line, and conoid tubercle.
	2. Scapula, a flat, triangular bone which makes up the posterior part of the pectoral girdle (Netter: 396-397). Note: Subscapular fossa, superior and inferior angle, glenoid fossa, coracoid process, lateral and medial margins, and supraglenoid tubercle (anterior surface); Posteriorly, note spine, supraspinatus fossa, infraspinatus fossa, scapular notch, and infraglenoid tubercle.
The proximal humerus joins the shoulder girdle at the glenoid fossa to complete the formation of the upper limb. Note the following structures on the proximal humerus; greater and lesser tuberosities, head, anatomic neck, intertubercular (bicipital) groove, surgical neck, and deltoid tuberosity.

Joints of the Shoulder-Rotator Cuff - Chest Muscles -Fascia -Bursae

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Text written by Dr. K. Jackson Thomas, PT, Ed.D.
Programming and layout by Chris Murphy
Last modified: 4:54 PM on 12/1/96