Female Shoulder, Posterior View

Description

Centered on the posterior shoulder girdle, the scapula lies over the posterolateral thoracic wall with its spine running transversely to the acromion, which caps the lateral end of the scapula and overhangs the glenohumeral joint. Supraspinatus occupies the supraspinous fossa superior to the spine, while infraspinatus fills the infraspinous fossa inferiorly, tapering laterally toward the greater tubercle of the humerus. Teres minor and teres major track along the lateral border, with the long head of triceps descending from the infraglenoid tubercle between them. Overlying layers typically include the posterior deltoid and the converging fibers of trapezius medially and latissimus dorsi inferiorly, framing the medial border and inferior angle. Posterior anatomy is where scapulohumeral rhythm becomes easy to teach, because you can track scapular upward rotation, posterior tilt, and external rotation against the thorax as the arm abducts at the glenohumeral joint. It is also the view clinicians use to localize common pain generators: supraspinatus tendinopathy and subacromial impingement relate to the acromion and supraspinatus course, while infraspinatus and teres minor wasting can point toward suprascapular nerve or axillary nerve pathology. Surgical landmarks live here. The scapular spine and acromion guide posterior approaches to the shoulder and help orient portal placement in arthroscopy. Ideal for gross anatomy and kinesiology courses covering the shoulder region, this posterior female reference also fits orthopedic and sports medicine teaching materials on rotator cuff testing, scapular dyskinesis, and glenohumeral stability. Medical publishers can pair it with clinical diagrams of impingement, posterior dislocation patterns, or nerve injury distributions. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.