Shoulder & Arm | Trail Guide to the Body Workbook Questions

Three bones that make up the shoulder complex are the ______, ______, and ______.

Clavicle, Scapula, and Humerus

The acromioclavicular and sternoclavicular are what types of joints?

Synovial joints

The single attachment between the axial and upper appendicular skeletons is the ______ joint.

Sternoclavicular joint

The humerus and scapula form the ______ joint.

Glenohumeral joint

A great base camp for locating other bony landmarks of the shoulder is the ______.

Spine of the scapula

With your partner prone, how can you best position your partner's hand to locate the inferior angle of the scapula?

Place the hand on the small of the back.

A "winged scapula" often indicates weakness in which muscle?

Serratus anterior

The superior angle of the scapula serves as an attachment site for the ______ muscle and is deep to the ______ muscle.

Levator scapulae; Trapezius

When accessing the lateral border of the scapula, through which two muscle bellies will you have to palpate?

Teres major and Teres minor

Accessing the infraglenoid tubercle can elicit tenderness. How can you palpate this landmark without causing pain?

Use your broad thumb pad.

The three scapular fossae contain which three muscles?

Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, and Subscapularis

The infraspinous fossa can be isolated by setting your fingers on which three bony landmarks?

Spine of scapula, Medial border, and Lateral border

Palpating laterally along the supraspinous fossa, your fingers will bump into which two bony structures?

Acromion and Clavicle

To locate the subscapular fossa in a side-lying position, your fingers sink onto the fossa's surface. What can your other hand do to help access the fossa?

Move the arm and scapula to help sink in.

To access the medial portion of the subscapular fossa, how would you position your partner?

Side-lying with arm at side.

The acromion serves as an attachment site for which two muscles?

Deltoid and Trapezius

When palpating the clavicle, the ______ end rises superiorly while the ______ end curves inferiorly.

Acromial end; Sternal end

To feel the acromioclavicular joint space widen slightly and then diminish, you can ask your partner to do which two movements of the scapula?

Elevation and Depression

The coracoid process is often located in the ______ groove.

Deltopectoral groove

Sculpting a circle around the edges of the coracoid process can help you get a better understanding of its ______ and ______.

Shape and Size

What are the three muscles that attach to the greater tubercle of the humerus?

Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, and Teres minor

Within the intertubercular groove lies the tendon of which muscle?

Long head of Biceps brachii

The deltoid is completely covered by which muscle posteriorly?

Trapezius

What action can you ask your partner to perform in order to contract all fibers of the deltoid?

Abduction

The actions of the deltoid's anterior and posterior fibers make it an ______.

Antagonist

The upper fibers of the trapezius elevate the scapula, so the lower fibers must ______ the scapula.

Depress

Bilateral contraction of the upper fibers of the trapezius will create what movement of the head and neck?

Extension

To feel the middle fibers of the trapezius contract, you could ask your partner to perform which action?

Adduction (retraction) of the scapula

Which portion of the latissimus dorsi is easy to grasp?

Middle portion

When palpating the latissimus dorsi, how can you discern the muscle tissue from the superficial skin?

Grasp the tissue and let it slip through your fingers to feel the fibrous muscle texture.

One palpatory distinction between the teres major and latissimus dorsi is that the teres major attaches to the ______ of the scapula.

Lateral border

Passive abduction of the scapula would ______ the middle fibers of the trapezius.

Lengthen

Passive elevation of the scapula would ______ the trapezius's upper fibers and ______ its lower fibers.

Shorten; Lengthen

Passive rotation of the head and neck to the left would ______ the left trapezius's upper fibers.

Lengthen

Passive flexion of the shoulder would ______ the anterior fibers of the deltoid.

Shorten

Passive lateral rotation of the shoulder would ______ the deltoid's posterior fibers.

Shorten

Passive flexion of the shoulder would ______ the latissimus dorsi.

Lengthen

Passive adduction of the shoulder would ______ the teres major.

Shorten

Passive medial rotation of the shoulder would ______ the latissimus dorsi and teres major.

Shorten

The four rotator cuff muscles encompass and stabilize the ______.

Glenohumeral joint

To locate the supraspinatus belly, you must palpate through which muscle?

Upper fibers of the Trapezius

The only rotator cuff muscle not involved with rotation of the shoulder is the ______.

Supraspinatus

The supraspinatus is deep to a layer of ______.

Thick superficial fascia

The subscapularis is sandwiched between which fossa and which muscle?

Subscapular fossa and Serratus anterior fascia

What is the best action to ask your partner to perform to feel the supraspinatus contract?

Abduction of the shoulder

What three bony landmarks can you lay your fingers along to isolate the belly of the infraspinatus?

Spine of scapula, Medial border, and Lateral border

If you follow the fibers of the infraspinatus laterally, they converge underneath which muscle?

Deltoid

You can distinguish the teres minor from the teres major by their sizes and actions. Explain.

Teres minor is smaller; teres major medially rotates the shoulder, while teres minor laterally rotates it.

When accessing the subscapularis from a side-lying position, under what two muscles should you slide your thumb?

Latissimus dorsi and Teres major

What action could you ask your partner to do to gently contract the subscapularis?

Medially rotate the shoulder

To access the supraspinatus tendon, you need to sink your thumb tip through which muscle?

Deltoid

To locate the infraspinatus and teres minor tendons in a supine position, how would you position your partner's shoulder?

Flex the shoulder, horizontally adduct, and laterally rotate.

The subscapularis tendon can be located between the two tendons of which muscle?

Biceps brachii

In which two directions do you want to move from the coracoid process to locate the subscapularis tendon?

Inferior and lateral

The rhomboids are deep to the ______ muscle and superficial to the ______ muscles.

Trapezius; Erector spinae

Can you name two actions in which the rhomboids and trapezius are synergists and one action in which they are antagonists?

Synergists: scapular adduction (retraction) and elevation. Antagonists: scapular rotation (trapezius upwardly rotates; rhomboids downwardly rotate).

The levator scapula is situated between which two muscles on the lateral side of the neck?

Splenius capitis and Posterior scalene

An action to ask your partner to perform to feel the levator scapula contract is ______.

Elevation

When accessing the levator scapula in a supine position, what are the benefits of rotating the head 45° away from the side you are palpating?

Shifts the cervical spine anteriorly, increases palpable tension, and shortens/softens the trapezius.

The serratus anterior abducts the scapula, making it a direct antagonist to the ______.

Rhomboids

Most of the serratus anterior is deep to the scapula and which two muscles?

Latissimus dorsi and Pectoralis major

Accessing the medial portion of the serratus anterior by curling your fingers around the medial border of the scapula, your fingers will inherently have to work through the bellies of which two muscles?

Trapezius and Rhomboids

The pectoralis major is divided into three segments.

Clavicular, Sternal, and Costal

Can you name an everyday action in which you use your pectoralis major?

Giving a hug

The most important aspect when palpating near breast tissue is ______.

Communication

If you follow the fibers of the pectoralis major laterally, they blend with the fibers of which muscle?

Deltoid

Flexing the shoulder and pulling it anteriorly while you palpate the pectoralis major in a side-lying position has which two benefits?

Lifts the pectoralis major off the chest wall and allows breast tissue to fall away.

The pectoralis minor has the potential to create neurovascular compression on which three structures?

Brachial plexus, Axillary artery, and Axillary vein

Which head of the biceps brachii passes through the intertubercular groove?

Long head

Name an everyday action in which the biceps brachii's ability to supinate the forearm would come in handy.

Turning a doorknob

As you follow the biceps brachii belly proximally, it becomes deep to which muscle?

Anterior deltoid

The thin sheet of fascia extending from the distal biceps brachii tendon is called the ______.

Bicipital aponeurosis

The long head of the triceps brachii weaves between which two muscles before attaching at the infraglenoid tubercle?

Teres major and Teres minor

To outline the distal tendon of the triceps brachii, which bony landmark do you want to locate?

Olecranon process

What action could you ask your partner to perform to feel the contraction of the long head of the triceps brachii?

Extend the elbow against resistance

In anatomical position, the coracobrachialis is deep to which two muscles?

Pectoralis major and Anterior deltoid

How can you position the shoulder to bring the belly of the coracobrachialis to a superficial position?

Laterally rotate and abduct the shoulder

To locate the belly of the coracobrachialis, from which muscle would you slide off and into the axilla?

Pectoralis major

Passive abduction of the shoulder would ______ the coracobrachialis.

Lengthen

Passive extension of the shoulder would ______ the biceps brachii.

Lengthen

Passive flexion of the shoulder would ______ the triceps brachii.

Lengthen

Passive pronation of the forearm would ______ the biceps brachii.

Lengthen