Muscles That Move the Scapulae
| Action of the Scapula | What the Action Looks Like (Try It Yours ... | Primary Muscles |
| Elevation | Glide the shoulders upward toward the ea ... | Upper trapezius levator scapulae |
| Depression | Glide the shoulders downward | Lower trapezius |
| Retraction (adduction) | Pinch the shoulder blades toward each ot ... | Rhomboids middle trapezius |
| Protraction (abduction) | Round the shoulders forward | Serratus anterior |
What muscle depresses the scapula?
Muscles which Depress the scapula. Latissimus Dorsi. Pectoralis Major. Pectoralis Minor. Subclavius. Serratus Anterior. Trapezius (lower part) Anatomy Home Page. American.
What muscles elevate scapula?
The muscles that protract and retract the scapula are antagonistic, that is, they have opposed actions. Retraction is accomplished by the actions of the trapezius, rhomboids, and latissimus dorsi muscles. The elevation is accomplished by the trapezius, levator scapulae, and rhomboid muscles.
What are the best exercises for the scapula?
The 10 Best Scapular Exercises
- Reverse Banded Flyes. Achieving upper back hypertrophy through a larger range of motion, targeting all the upper back muscles.
- Banded Pull-Aparts. Focusing on scapular retraction and as an effective warm-up exercise for a heavy shoulder workout. ...
- Scapular Push-Ups. ...
- Banded YTWLs. ...
- Reach And Rows. ...
- Stability Ball Push-Ups. ...
- Forearm Wall Slides. ...
- Overhead Carry. ...
Which muscle will depress the scapula or elevate the ribs?
levator scapulae. elevates, retracts, and rotates scapula; laterally flexes neck. pectoralis minor. depresses scapula or elavates ribs. rhomboideus major. retracts, rotates and fixes scapula. rhomboideus minor. retracts, slightly elevates rotates, and fixes scapula. serratus anterior.
What is the primary mover for scapular depression?
Muscles: serratus anterior is the prime mover. Pectoralis minor and major, the latter acting through the humerus, may assist (act as synergists). Retraction of the scapula is sometimes called adduction of the scapula. The scapula is moved posteriorly and medially along the chest wall.
What causes depressed scapula?
CAUSE: The most common cause is scapular strength imbalance with the Lat and pecs being overly dominant in a shortened position (depression). These are often the same individuals who use their Lat as their primary scapular retractor.
What muscle Protracts and depresses scapula?
Pectoralis minor is a “fan” shaped muscle that assists in pulling the scapula anteriorly or “protracting” it, as well as depression of the shoulder.
Does trapezius cause depression of scapula?
The entire trapezius is shaped like a diamond and it has multiple fiber directions. Its upper fibers (the top of the diamond) elevate the scapulae and its lower fibers (the bottom of the diamond) depress the scapulae.
Do rhomboids depress scapula?
Muscles connecting the upper extremity to the vertebral column. Rhomboid major indicated in red. Retracts the scapula and rotates it to depress the glenoid cavity. It also fixes the scapula to the thoracic wall.
What muscles pull scapula down?
The rhomboids are rhombus-shaped and are used to pull the shoulder blades together. They also rotate the scapula in a downward direction and provide stability for your shoulders.
Does serratus anterior depress the scapula?
This shifting now enables to lift the arm above 90° (elevation). In contrast, the superior part depresses the scapula and thus acts antagonistically. Another function of the serratus anterior is the active stabilization of the scapula within the shoulder.
Which muscle is responsible for protraction and depression of the scapula quizlet?
Serratus anterior has the role of protracting or downward rotation of scapular, whereas rhomboid major and minor have the role of retraction of scapular.
How do you retract and depress the scapula?
0:291:31How To Retract Your Scapula For A Safer Stronger Bench - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd you want to be way down here that's a weak position a lot of sense on your tractor. Not as muchMoreAnd you want to be way down here that's a weak position a lot of sense on your tractor. Not as much on your chest. So again cactus check deluxe double shake back stay.
What muscle is weak with scapular winging?
The most common etiology of a winged scapula is usually due to damage or impaired innervation to the serratus anterior muscle. The nerve that innervates this muscle is the long thoracic nerve.
Why is scapular depression important?
Additionally, we anticipated that scapular depression will trigger a greater increase in local muscle activity and subsequently reduce the available elbow extension range of motion compared to blocking the scapula in neutral.
How does the latissimus dorsi depress the scapula?
Functionally, the latissimus dorsi muscle belongs to the muscles of the scapular motion. This muscle is able to pull the inferior angle of the scapula in various directions, producing movements on the shoulder joint (internal rotation, adduction and extension of the arm).
How do you improve scapular depression?
Gently squeeze your shoulder blades together, then slowly lift your arms so they are parallel to your body. Rotate arms out, bringing your thumbs up. Hold for 5 seconds, then lower your arms back down and repeat.
What does scapular depression look like?
A depressed shoulder is easy to spot. Things to look for: A downward slope of the shoulder girdle. Increased or reduced distance between the inside border of the shoulder blade and spine.
How do you get shoulder depression?
0:030:55Advanced Athletics - Shoulder Depression - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo what you're gonna do is you're gonna have two dumbbells on top of a box or a bench and the ideaMoreSo what you're gonna do is you're gonna have two dumbbells on top of a box or a bench and the idea is to push yourself off of that box spread your shoulders squeeze them together and.
Why is scapular depression important?
Additionally, we anticipated that scapular depression will trigger a greater increase in local muscle activity and subsequently reduce the available elbow extension range of motion compared to blocking the scapula in neutral.
What is the acromion process?
The acromion process is a palpable lateral and enlarged extension of the posterior spine of the scapula which projects anterolaterally to the spine. It arches over the glenohumeral joint and articulates with the lateral acromial end of the clavicle to make up the synovial acromioclavicular joint.
Why does my scapula wing?
Another cause of winging of the scapula is fascioscapulohumeral dystrophy, an autosomal dominant condition affecting several muscles related to the scapula: serratus anterior, rhomboids, trapezius, teres major and minor, pectoralis minor and major, biceps, and triceps muscle.
What are the two processes that are associated with the spine?
Along with the spine, there are two more processes: the coracoid and acromion process. The coracoid process is a beak-like bent that projects anterolaterally from the superior border. Humerus and scapula. Inferior to the coracoid process is the glenoid cavity.
What are the three borders of the scapula?
Like any triangle, the scapula consists of three borders: superior, lateral and medial. The superior border is the shortest and thinnest border of the three. The medial border is a thin border and runs parallel to the vertebral column and is therefore often called the vertebral border. The lateral border is often called the axillary border as it runs superolaterally towards the apex of the axilla. It is the thickest and strongest of the three borders for muscle attachment. It also has the glenoid cavity or socket along this border, a shallow fossa which articulates with the head of the humerus, forming the glenohumeral joint.
Where does the deltoid muscle originate?
Deltoid muscle – it originates inferiorly along the scapula spine to the acromion (and lateral third of the clavicle). Its actions include flexion and medial rotation (anterior fibres), abduction (middle fibres), extension and lateral rotation (posterior fibres) at the shoulder joint. It is innervated by the axillary nerve .
Which cavity is inferior to the coracoid process?
Inferior to the coracoid process is the glenoid cavity. Superiorly lies the lateral part of the clavicle and medial to the coracoid process is the suprascapular notch (for nerve passage) which connects the base of the coracoid process to the superior border. The coracoid process allows the attachment of various muscles and ligaments.
Which surface of the scapula is concave?
The scapula has two surfaces; on the anterior aspect is the smooth costal surface, which is concave in shape and is majorly taken up by the subscapular fossa. At the back of the scapula is the convex and uneven posterior surface which has a protruding ridge of bone ( spine of the scapula) that unevenly separates it into two divisions: the superior supraspinous fossa and the much bigger, inferior infraspinous fossa.
What muscles are involved in glenohumeral elevation?
As the arm is raised, overhead glenohumeral elevation is accomplished through a force couple formed by the deltoid and the rotator cuff muscles (Fig. 3.6 ). During the initial phases of glenohumeral elevation, the deltoid muscle functions to elevate the humerus, while the rotator cuff muscles stabilize the glenohumeral joint by compressing the humeral head into the glenoid fossa [ 15, 16, 31, 32 ]. Additionally, the supraspinatus muscle assists the deltoid in producing arm elevation, while the infraspinatus and teres minor muscles produce humeral external rotation toward the end range of arm elevation.
What muscle is responsible for scapula rotation?
As the arm is elevated to an overhead position, the primary scapulothoracic motion is upward rotation. The traditionally described muscle force couple responsible for producing this movement consists of the upper and lower portions of the trapezius muscle along with the serratus anterior muscle. Contrary to this, Johnson et al. [ 3] purport that the middle trapezius muscle works with the serratus anterior muscle in a force couple that produces scapular upward rotation. Based on a cadaveric study, the authors proposed that once the serratus anterior muscle initiated upward rotation, the middle trapezius was optimally aligned to assist with upward rotation [ 3 ]. The serratus anterior and middle trapezius muscles then continue to work in a force couple to upwardly rotate the scapula as the arm is raised overhead (Fig. 3.3 ). The role of the lower trapezius was proposed to be one of scapular stabilization by offsetting scapular elevation and protraction produced by the upper trapezius and serratus anterior muscle, while the upper trapezius muscle was proposed to be one of clavicular and scapular elevation and retraction [ 3 ].
What is the contribution of the glenohumeral joint to overhead arm motions?
The contribution of the glenohumeral joint to overhead arm motions requires a balance of adequate joint mobility and stability. Glenohumeral joint stability relies heavily upon the concavity compression mechanism [ 30 ]. The concavity compression mechanism refers to the stabilizing effect of the concave glenoid fossa and compressive forces of the rotator cuff musculature on humeral head translations. Other factors that contribute to this mechanism are glenoid articular cartilage thickness and the glenoid labrum [ 30 ].
Which muscles produce horizontal adduction?
The anterior deltoid along with the pectoralis major and subscapularis muscles produces glenohumeral horizontal adduction [ 18, 20 ]. The posterior deltoid and infraspinatus muscles produce glenohumeral horizontal abduction [ 18, 20, 21 ].
Which muscles work together to produce scapular posterior tilt?
The serratus anterior, rhomboids, and trapezius muscles work together as a force couple to produce these motions [ 14, 26, 28, 29 ]. It is the extensive attachment on the inferior angle of the scapula that places the lower portion of the serratus anterior muscle in an ideal orientation to produce scapular posterior tilt.
Which muscle is responsible for rotation of the arm?
The infraspinatus muscle is primarily responsible for producing glenohumeral external rotation in neutral (arm in 0° elevation) and at 90° of arm elevation [ 10, 18 ]. The supraspinatus [ 19] as well as the teres minor and posterior deltoid muscles assist the infraspinatus muscle during these movements [ 8 ].
Which muscle protracts the scapula?
Conversely, orientation of the serratus anterior muscle allows it to upwardly rotate, externally rotate, and posteriorly tilt the scapula as it protracts the scapula. ( a) Muscles responsible for producing scapular protraction. Green arrow = pectoralis major; red arrow = serratus anterior; purple arrow = pectoralis minor. ...
Why is it important to learn new habits?
Learning new habits is the true key to great and permanent results with regards to scapular kinematic dysfunction. Establishing proper motor control will subsequently cause habitual stimulus and maintenance of the muscles that are commonly inhibited, such as the trapezius and serratus anterior, because they are now being used in daily life. The patient has to learn what proper movement is, in detail. Only then can long term results be guaranteed, in my experience.
What is the upward rotation of the scapula?
Upward rotation of the scapula involves elevation of the clavicle, adduction of the superior scapular angle and abduction of the inferior angle. This can also be called a medial rotation over a sagittal axis (imagine a rod perforating the center of the scapula, on which it may rotate).
How much rotation should the scapula be before abduction?
There is, as mentioned, a 3:1 ratio between GH and scapular movement. The scapula should rest at approximately 0-10 degrees of upward rotation before abduction is initiated. At 90 degrees of GH abduction, there should thus be approx. 30 degrees of upward rotation. And so on.
How much posterior tilting is required for a humerus?
The same principle apply here as above; the greater the angle of the humerus, the greater the angle of posterior tilting is required. We need approximately 60 degrees of posterior tilting at 180 degrees of GH flexion. This, however, is impossible because the inferior scapular angle will crash into the ribs, if posterior tilt is to be the only movement that occurs! This is where protraction and medial rotation comes in. The scapula protracts and medially rotates, and now posterior tilting happens on an oblique angle on the posterolateral aspect of the thorax, so that the inferior angle do not jam into it. This may be a little difficult to understand, but as long as the scapula protracts and medially rotates as it posteriorly rotates, you’re fine.
How to find scapular resting height?
To identify scapular resting height, palpate the cervical spinous process until you find C7, which is also called the vertebrae prominens . This is because the spinous process of the C7 is much more prominent (bigger, longer) than the others, and is thus relatively easy to locate even for beginners.
What should follow the arm's movement during optimal kinematics?
The scapula’s joint socket, then glenoid cavity, should follow the arm’s movement during optimal kinematics. One third, being approx. 30% of total shoulder range of motion comes from scapular movement. If the scapula moves inappropriately, loss of ROM will occur, and often so along with injuries.
What part of the shoulder should follow the arm's movement?
The scapula’s joint socket, then glenoid cavity, should follow the arm’s movement during optimal kinematics. One third, being approx. 30% of total shoulder range of motion comes from scapular movement. If the scapula moves inappropriately, loss of ROM will occur, and often so along with injuries.
What joint is between the glenoid fossa and the rounded head of the humerus?
Glenohumeral joint: This is a ball and socket joint formed between the glenoid fossa of the scapula and the rounded head of the humerus.
How many ways does the scapula move?
The movement of this bone is coupled with the humerus, meaning whenever you move your arm, your scapula also moves. It can move in six different ways, towards (retract) and away (protract) from the vertebral column, up and down (elevate and depress), and also rotate upwards and downwards. There are 17 muscles attached to it that help to produce these movements.
Where is the Glenoid Fossa located?
Glenoid fossa – It is a shallow pyriform cavity located at the lateral angle of the scapula. It articulates with the rounded head of the humerus, forming the glenohumeral (shoulder) joint.
What is the infraspinous fossa?
Infraspinous fossa: It is the area below the spine of the scapula. It is convex and much larger than the preceding one. At its upper part, towards the vertebral margin, it shows a shallow concavity. In the center, it is convex, while near the lateral border, it has a deep groove running from the upper toward the lower part.
Which muscle is inserted superiorly along the spine, acromion process, and clavicle?
Trapezius muscle: Gets inserted superiorly along the spine, acromion process, and clavicle. It helps to elevate and rotate the scapula during protraction of the humerus beyond 90 degrees.
How many muscles are attached to the scapula?
As the scapula has a large surface area, a large number of muscles get attached to it. The 17 muscles attached here, fix the scapula to the thoracic wall and allow it to move. Four muscles, namely subscapularis, infraspinatus, teres minor, and supraspinatus, form the rotator cuff, covering the shoulder capsule.
How does the scapula stabilize the shoulder capsule?
It stabilizes the shoulder capsule during excessive arm motion by rotating upwards and downwards.
