Main Reference Sections:
Health Glossary (Index)
Human Body (Index)
Medical Textbooks

More pages in this category
(in alphabetical order):

Acromion

Acromion Process

Anterior angle of scapula

Axillary border of scapula

Body of scapula

Coracoid process

Glenoid cavity

Inferior angle of scapula

Infraglenoid tubercle

Infraspinous fossa

Lateral angle of scapula

Lateral border of scapula

Medial angle of scapula

Medial border of scapula

Spine of scapula

Subscapular fossa

Superior angle of scapula

Superior border of scapula

Supraglenoid tubercle

Supraspinous fossa

Vertebral border of scapula

Medial angle (of scapula) = a structural feature on the scapula, which is also known as the "shoulder blade" or "shoulder bone".

The medial angle of the scapula is also known as the superior angle of the scapula.

As can be seen from the photograph of the model of a scapula bone (part of a model skeleton) on the right, the scapula bone is approximately trianglular. One would therefore expect it to have three "angles". They are:

• the superior angle of the scapula
  = the "medial angle of the scapula", which is described on this page
• the inferior angle of the scapula, and
• the anterior angle of the scapula (also called the "lateral angle of the scapula*"), which forms the "head of the scapula" including an articulatory surface called the glenoid cavity that articulates with the head of humerus (upper-arm bone), forming the shoulder joint.
  *Labelled "lateral angle" in the 1918 edition of Gray's Anatomy, [link].

These three "angles" of the scapula are apparent from the two diagrams below and on the diagram of the 3 angles of the scapula bone.

The medial angle of the scapula bone is located at the point on the upper surface of the scapula where the vertebral border, which is also called the "medial border" (of the scapula) meets the superior border (of the scapula). It is a thin, smooth, rounded angle that is slightly inclined laterally i.e. towards the sides right/left of the body rather than inwards towards the vertebral column.

The medial angle of the scapula forms the point of insertion of the levator scapula (muscle, pl. levator scapulae) whose functions, or "actions" include a combination of raising the the scapula and/or rotating the head and/or tilting the head to the side.

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.