General context of the vertebral border of the scapula:
The scapula is a triangular bone. Triangles have 3 angles and 3 sides.
The 3 angles of the scapula bone are located towards the upper, lower and lateral (= axillary) surfaces of the scapula. The 3 "sides" of the approximately triangular shape of the scapula bone are not straight (as per strict mathematical triangles) but are curved and are called "borders".
The 3 borders of the scapula are :
The axillary border of the scapula is the thickest of the three borders of the scapula bone.
It extends down from the lower margin of the glenoid cavity all the way along the lateral edge of the scapula to the inferior angle.
The lowest third of the axillary border of the scapula (closest to the inferior angle) is much thinner than the upper portion of the axillary border and can be quite sharp. This section provides points of attachment for some fibres of the teres major (muscle) towards the posterior surface and the subscapularis (muscle) towards the anterior surface. |