Infraspinatous fossa

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Infraspinatous fossa
Infraspinatous fossa of left scapula01.png
Left scapula. Dorsal surface. Infraspinatous fossa shown in red.
Posterior surface of scapula.jpg
Left scapula. Dorsal surface. Infraspinatous fossa labeled at center.
Details
Identifiers
Latin fossa infraspinata
TA A02.4.01.008
FMA 23272
Anatomical terms of bone

The infraspinatous fossa (infraspinatus fossa, infraspinous fossa) of the scapula is much larger than the supraspinatous fossa; toward its vertebral margin a shallow concavity is seen at its upper part; its center presents a prominent convexity, while near the axillary border is a deep groove which runs from the upper toward the lower part.

Scapula bone that connects the humerus (jatt arm bone) with the clavicle (collar bone)

In anatomy, the scapula, also known as shoulder bone, shoulder blade, wing bone or blade bone, is the bone that connects the humerus with the clavicle. Like their connected bones the scapulae are paired, with the scapula on either side of the body being roughly a mirror image of the other. The name derives from early Roman times when it was thought that the bone resembled a trowel or small shovel.

Supraspinatous fossa Part of the shoulderblade

The supraspinatous fossa of the posterior aspect of the scapula is smaller than the infraspinatous fossa, concave, smooth, and broader at its vertebral than at its humeral end. Its medial two-thirds give origin to the Supraspinatus.

Contents

The medial two-thirds of the fossa give origin to the Infraspinatus; the lateral third is covered by this muscle.

Additional images

Infraspinatus muscle muscle in the human shoulder

In human anatomy, the infraspinatus muscle is a thick triangular muscle, which occupies the chief part of the infraspinatous fossa. As one of the four muscles of the rotator cuff, the main function of the infraspinatus is to externally rotate the humerus and stabilize the shoulder joint.

Related Research Articles

Humerus long bone of the upper arm

The humerus is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extremity consists of a rounded head, a narrow neck, and two short processes. The body is cylindrical in its upper portion, and more prismatic below. The lower extremity consists of 2 epicondyles, 2 processes, and 3 fossae. As well as its true anatomical neck, the constriction below the greater and lesser tubercles of the humerus is referred to as its surgical neck due to its tendency to fracture, thus often becoming the focus of surgeons.

Subclavian artery major arteries of the upper thorax, below the clavicle

In human anatomy, the subclavian arteries are paired major arteries of the upper thorax, below the clavicle. They receive blood from the aortic arch. The left subclavian artery supplies blood to the left arm and the right subclavian artery supplies blood to the right arm, with some branches supplying the head and thorax. On the left side of the body, the subclavian comes directly off the aortic arch, while on the right side it arises from the relatively short brachiocephalic artery when it bifurcates into the subclavian and the right common carotid artery.

Pectoralis minor human chest muscle

The pectoralis minor is a thin, triangular muscle, situated at the upper part of the chest, beneath the pectoralis major in the human body.

Teres minor muscle

The teres minor is a narrow, elongated muscle of the rotator cuff. The muscle originates from the lateral border and adjacent posterior surface of the corresponding right or left scapula and inserts at both the greater tubercle of the humerus and the posterior surface of the joint capsule.

Suprascapular nerve

The suprascapular nerve is a nerve that arises from the brachial plexus. It is responsible for the innervation of some of the muscles that attach on the scapula, namely the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles.

Serratus anterior muscle Muscle on the surface of the ribs

The serratus anterior is a muscle that originates on the surface of the 1st to 8th ribs at the side of the chest and inserts along the entire anterior length of the medial border of the scapula. The serratus anterior acts to pull the scapula forward around the thorax. The muscle is named from Latin: serrare = to saw, referring to the shape, anterior = on the front side of the body.

Supraspinatus muscle muscle of the upper back

The supraspinatus is a relatively small muscle of the upper back that runs from the supraspinatous fossa superior portion of the scapula to the greater tubercle of the humerus. It is one of the four rotator cuff muscles and also abducts the arm at the shoulder. The spine of the scapula separates the supraspinatus muscle from the infraspinatus muscle, which originates below the spine.

Axillary artery Large blood vessel bringing oxygenated blood to the thorax

In human anatomy, the axillary artery is a large blood vessel that conveys oxygenated blood to the lateral aspect of the thorax, the axilla (armpit) and the upper limb. Its origin is at the lateral margin of the first rib, before which it is called the subclavian artery.

Subclavius muscle

The subclavius is a small triangular muscle, placed between the clavicle and the first rib. Along with the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor muscles, the subclavius muscle makes up the anterior wall of the axilla.

Teres major muscle muscle of the upper limb

The teres major muscle is a muscle of the upper limb. It attaches to the scapula and the humerus and is one of the seven scapulohumeral muscles. It is a thick but somewhat flattened muscle.

Circumflex scapular artery Artery of the upper body

The circumflex scapular artery is a branch of the subscapular artery and part of the scapular anastomoses.

Suprascapular artery Artery of the neck

The suprascapular artery is a branch of the thyrocervical trunk on the neck.

Glenoid cavity part of the shoulder

The glenoid cavity or glenoid fossa of scapula is a part of the shoulder. It is a shallow, pyriform articular surface, which is located on the lateral angle of the scapula. It is directed laterally and forward and articulates with the head of the humerus; it is broader below than above and its vertical diameter is the longest.

Great scapular notch

The great scapular notch is a notch which serves to connect the supraspinatous fossa and infraspinatous fossa.

Scapular anastomosis circulatory system around the shoulder blade

The scapular anastomosis is a system connecting certain subclavian artery and their corresponding axillary artery, forming a circulatory anastomosis around the scapula. It allows blood to flow past the joint in case of occlusion, damage, or pinching of the following scapular arteries:

Spine of scapula

The spine of the scapula or scapular spine is a prominent plate of bone, which crosses obliquely the medial four-fifths of the scapula at its upper part, and separates the supra- from the infraspinatous fossa.

Oblique ridges of scapula

The oblique ridges cross the subscapular fossa from superomedial to inferiolateral. These ridges are formed by intramuscular tendons of the subscapularis muscle.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 203 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

The public domain consists of all the creative works to which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or may be inapplicable.

<i>Grays Anatomy</i> English-language textbook of human anatomy

Gray's Anatomy is an English language textbook of human anatomy originally written by Henry Gray and illustrated by Henry Vandyke Carter. Earlier editions were called Anatomy: Descriptive and Surgical, Anatomy of the Human Body and Gray's Anatomy: Descriptive and Applied, but the book's name is commonly shortened to, and later editions are titled, Gray's Anatomy. The book is widely regarded as an extremely influential work on the subject, and has continued to be revised and republished from its initial publication in 1858 to the present day. The latest edition of the book, the 41st, was published in September 2015.