Anatomical Characteristics Of The Humerus's Infraspinous Fossa

Description

Scapula anatomy is centered here on the infraspinous fossa, the broad, shallow concavity occupying the inferior half of the posterior (dorsal) surface below the scapular spine. Superior to the fossa, the spine runs obliquely laterally toward the acromion, while the lateral border thickens as it approaches the glenoid cavity at the superolateral angle. Medially, the vertebral (medial) border frames the fossa’s gentle curvature, and inferiorly the surface tapers toward the inferior angle where the bone turns anteriorly toward the costal surface. Bone texture is smooth but not featureless. In clinical and teaching contexts, the infraspinous fossa matters because it provides the principal origin for the infraspinatus muscle, a rotator cuff external rotator whose tendon inserts on the middle facet of the greater tubercle of the humerus and is frequently assessed in shoulder pain and weakness. The fossa’s relationship to the spinoglenoid notch (just lateral to the scapular spine near the glenoid) also underpins suprascapular nerve entrapment patterns, where isolated infraspinatus atrophy can occur without supraspinatus involvement. By fixing attention on the posterior bony surface rather than the overlying musculature, the illustration supports clean landmarking for palpation, injection planning near the posterior shoulder, and orientation for posterior scapular approaches used in trauma fixation. Use this illustration in gross anatomy lab guides, orthopedic and sports medicine teaching decks on rotator cuff anatomy, and medical publisher figures covering scapular surface landmarks, fracture patterns, or suprascapular neuropathy at the spinoglenoid region. It also fits radiology correlation pages that map posterior scapular contours to shoulder CT or 3D reconstructions. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.