Spine of the scapulaThe long ridge across the upper back of the scapula.
AcromionThe flat projection at the lateral end of the spine. It forms the bony tip of the shoulder and joins the clavicle.
Infraspinous fossaThe broad hollow below the spine, on the back.
Inferior angleThe lowest corner, between the medial and lateral borders. Several powerful shoulder muscles attach here.
Subscapular fossaThe broad hollow making up the front (deep) surface of the scapula.
Coracoid processA hook-like projection that points forward and curves out. It lies under the end of the clavicle. The name means shaped like a crow's beak.
Glenoid cavityThe shallow socket that meets the head of the humerus. Together they form the shoulder joint.
From behind: 9 5
Supraspinous fossaThe narrow hollow above the spine, on the back.
Medial borderThe edge of the scapula nearest the backbone.
Lateral borderThe edge toward the armpit. It runs from the glenoid cavity down to the inferior angle.
Superior borderThe short top edge of the scapula.
Superior angleThe corner between the medial and superior borders.
From the front: 6 3
Suprascapular notchA notch in the superior border, lateral to its midpoint.
Supraglenoid tubercleA small bump just above the glenoid cavity, for an arm muscle.
Infraglenoid tubercleA small bump just below the glenoid cavity, for an arm muscle.
The clavicle: 2 2
Acromial end of the clavicleThe lateral end of the clavicle. It joins the acromion at the acromioclavicular joint.
Sternal end of the clavicleThe medial end of the clavicle. It joins the sternum at the sternoclavicular joint.
How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-26. OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, section 8.1 The Pectoral Girdle, https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/8-1-the-pectoral-girdle : the clavicle's sternal end joining the manubrium (sternoclavicular joint) and acromial end joining the acromion; the scapula's superior, medial and lateral borders, the suprascapular notch lateral to the midpoint of the superior border, the superior angle between medial and superior borders and the inferior angle between medial and lateral borders with powerful muscle attachments; the glenoid cavity joining the humerus, with the supraglenoid and infraglenoid tubercles above and below for arm muscles; the coracoid process, hook-like, projecting anteriorly and curving laterally, inferior to the lateral clavicle ('shaped like a crow's beak'); the spine of the scapula on the posterior, the acromion extending laterally from it as the tip of the shoulder; the narrow supraspinous and broad infraspinous fossae above and below the spine, and the broad subscapular fossa on the anterior surface. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-05 by script. The outlines of the blade, the spine, the acromion, the coracoid process, the notch and the socket were read off two public domain plates, Henry Vandyke Carter's drawings in Henry Gray, Anatomy of the Human Body (20th US edition, 1918): fig. 203, the left scapula from behind (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray203.png), and fig. 202, the left scapula from the front (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray202.png), both mirrored to show a right scapula. The clavicle, the tinted landmark areas (border bands, angles, tubercles, hollows), the slightly opened notch, the hatching and the contour lines are our own. Licence: own drawing; outlines after public domain plates
How it works
A scapula labeling quiz on the right shoulder blade, from behind and from the front, with the clavicle that joins it. Start with the 7 main parts, then every border, angle, fossa and tubercle.
Read the full guide
From behind
The spine runs across the back and ends in the acromion, the tip of the shoulder. The supraspinous fossa lies above the spine and the broad infraspinous fossa below. Three borders, medial, lateral and superior, meet at the superior and inferior angles.
From the front
The front is the broad subscapular fossa. At the top the coracoid process hooks forward under the clavicle. The glenoid cavity is the shoulder socket, with a tubercle above and below it. The clavicle's acromial end meets the acromion; its sternal end meets the sternum.
Supra is above and infra is below: the two back fossae are named for the spine between them.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between the acromion and the coracoid process?
The acromion is the flat end of the spine on the back, forming the tip of the shoulder and joining the clavicle. The coracoid process is a hook on the front, just below the clavicle's outer end.
Where is the glenoid cavity?
At the corner between the superior and lateral borders. It is the shallow socket that takes the head of the humerus to make the shoulder joint.
What are the three fossae of the scapula?
The supraspinous fossa above the spine and the infraspinous fossa below it on the back, and the subscapular fossa across the front.