Which muscle depresses the scapula

As a fitness professional and an exam candidate, there is no way of getting around the fact that you need to know your anatomy! Understanding how the body moves and creates movement with the muscles is a huge part of the job. In an earlier blog, we looked at how to study anatomy.

The scapula, commonly referred to as the shoulder blade, is the bone that sits above the rib cage in the upper back. It creates the shoulder joint where it meets with the head of the humerus—the bone of the upper arm. The scapulae can move in six directions and each movement is produced by specific, primary muscles.

A helpful way to learn anatomy is to move and mimic the actions for the muscles you are learning that week. Look at the picture of the muscle, find it on your body, and picture how it is contracting as it produces its associated movement or movements.

That is, contract the muscle you are reviewing and complete the different actions that the muscle is capable of making. Mollie is also a boot camp instructor, rugby player, fitness coach and health enthusiast. Mollie moved to San Diego from the Midwest in to pursue her passion of playing rugby and to be able to participate in outdoor fitness year-round. Sign up to receive relevant, science-based health and fitness information and other resources.

C5 Teres Major Inf. Angle of. C5 Pectoralis Major Ribs ,. C5-T1 These are not the only muscles that undertake such actions on the arm. Later in this section, you will explore the brachial region which will go into more detail about other muscles that move the arm.

The four muscles of the arm are the biceps brachii, brachialis, coracobrachialis, and triceps brachii. Of the four, the biceps brachii, coracobrachialis, and brachialis are found in the anterior compartment while the triceps brachii can be found in the posterior compartment.

As the name bicep suggests, this muscle contains two muscle bellies long head, short head. The long head and short head of biceps brachii meet together at the midpoint of the humerus.

The primary action of this muscle is flexion at the elbow and shoulder joint and supination of the anti-brachium. The brachialis sits deep to the biceps brachii muscle. Meaning underneath. The main function of the brachialis is to keep the forearm stable during both slow and rapid movements. During flexion of the elbow, the brachialis always contracts and remains in flexion until the movement is finished. These traits are the reason the brachialis is regarded as one of the hardest working muscles in the arm.

The coracobrachialis is also involved in the flexion and abduction of the arm and also helps to stabilize the shoulder joint. The image below showcases the anterior compartment of the arm including the three muscles mentioned above. This muscle is the only muscle included in the posterior compartment. Like biceps brachii, triceps also have numerous muscle bellies.

Tri meaning three; long head, lateral head, and a medial head which lies deep to the lateral and long head. This muscle is the main extensor at the elbow joint and is the antagonist to the bicep brachii meaning it counteracts its movement. The triceps also help with extension and adduction of the arm. This muscle is a very small muscle that is located on the posterior portion of the elbow. Some refer to this muscle as a continuation of the triceps muscle. It aids in the extension of the forearm, stabilizes the elbow joint and also abducts the ulna in pronation.

There are also muscles for pronation and supination of the hand, as well as movements of the hand. The muscles that reside within this area are varied and unique by which they act on the digits from an origin outside of the hand and insert within it.

The groups of muscles within this area are therefore referred to as the extrinsic muscles of the hand. Based on their respective locations and functions, the muscles of the forearm are thereby divided into two compartments: 1 anterior compartment muscles, and 2 posterior compartment muscles. As discussed in the prior section regarding the muscles of the forearm, granted they produce far more powerful movement, but in turn they sacrifice a deftness of movement that only the intrinsic muscles of the hand can produce.

Thusly, the intrinsic muscles of the hand are divided into three compartments: 1 hypothenar, 2 intermediate, and 3 thenar. The hypothenar aspect of the palm includes: abductor digiti minimi, flexor digiti minimi brevis, and opponens digiti minimi. The tendon of the infraspinatus passes posteriorly on to the glenohumeral join and inserts on to the middle facet of the greater tuberosity of the humerus and capsule of the shoulder joint.

As a rotator cuff muscle, infraspinatus draws the humerus towards the glenoid fossa, thus resisting posterior dislocation of the arm.

It also laterally rotates and abducts the arm. The teres minor muscle originates from the posterior axillary boarder of the scapula and inserts through the capsule of the shoulder joint, and the lower facet of the greater tuberosity of the humerus. This muscle laterally rotates the arm, but only weakly adducts the arm. Subscapularis forms the largest component of the posterior wall of the axilla area on the body directly under the joint where the arm connects to the shoulder.

It originates from and fills the subcapular fossa on the anterior surface of the scapula and inserts on the lesser tuberosity of the humerus, and part of the capsule of the shoulder joint. This muscle medially rotates the arm, and stabilizes the glenohumeral joint. This is an interactive guide to help you find relevant patient information for your shoulder problem. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. The material on this website is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between ourselves and our patients.

Full Disclaimer. Deep Muscles Front anterior muscles of the shoulder: The pectoralis minor muscle is a small triangular shaped muscle that lies deep to pectoralis major muscle and passes as three muscular slips from the thoracic wall ribs III to V to the coracoid process of the scapula.