Body of scapula

Body of Scapula = a structural feature on the scapula, which is also known as the "shoulder blade" or "shoulder bone".

The "body" or main central area of the scapula bone has two surfaces:

• The dorsal surface of the scapula is on the posterior side of the scapula bone which is the surface on the back-side of the skeleton.
• The costal surface of the scapula is on the anterior side of the scapula which is the surface closest to the ribs when the bones are arranged as in a normal human skeleton.

The dorsal surface of the scapula is divided into two shallow depressions (called "fossae") by a triangular-shaped process called the spine of scapula. This divides the dorsal surfaceof the scapula into two parts - an upper part called the supraspinous fossa and a lower part called the infraspinous fossa.

The costal surface of the scapula is hollow from above downwards and from side to side. It is includes the subscapular fossa (which is a term that is sometimes used interchangeably with the "costal surface" of the scapula).

For more information about this and related topics see the links to other features on the scapula bone listed on the left and the pages about the scapula bone and about bone markings and features on bones.