Scapula, Posterior View

Description

Posteriorly, the male scapula dominates the shoulder girdle as a flat triangular bone with the spine of the scapula running obliquely from the medial border toward the lateral angle, where it expands into the acromion. Superior to the spine lies the supraspinous fossa, while the infraspinous fossa occupies the larger inferoposterior surface, both bounded medially by the vertebral (medial) border and laterally by the region of the glenoid cavity. Laterally, the head of the humerus aligns with the glenoid fossa to form the glenohumeral joint, and the clavicle meets the acromion at the acromioclavicular joint. Clear bony landmarks. This posterior perspective matters because it foregrounds the scapular spine and acromion, key palpable references when assessing scapulothoracic motion and when localizing pain from acromioclavicular separation or subacromial impingement. It also places the supraspinatus and infraspinatus origins in context, so you can relate dorsal scapular surface anatomy to rotator cuff pathology and to approaches that work around the acromion and glenoid during shoulder arthroscopy or open stabilization. Faculty can drop this into an osteology lab, surface anatomy session, or MSK module to reinforce orientation terms and landmark-based identification of the scapula, clavicle, and proximal humerus. It also suits figure plates for orthopedic and sports medicine texts discussing AC joint injury grading, scapular dyskinesis, or rotator cuff tears. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.