The subacromial bursa is the synovial cavity located just below the

acromion In human anatomy, the acromion (from Greek: ''akros'', "highest", ''ōmos'', "shoulder", plural: acromia) is a bony process on the scapula (shoulder blade). Together with the coracoid process it extends laterally over the shoulder joint. The acro ...

, which communicates with the subdeltoid bursa in most individuals, forming the so-called subacromial-subdeltoid bursa (SSB). The SSB bursa is located deep to the

deltoid muscle The deltoid muscle is the muscle forming the rounded contour of the human shoulder. It is also known as the 'common shoulder muscle', particularly in other animals such as the domestic cat. Anatomically, the deltoid muscle appears to be made up o ...

and the coracoacromial arch and extends laterally beyond the humeral attachment of the

rotator cuff The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the human shoulder and allow for its extensive range of motion. Of the seven scapulohumeral muscles, four make up the rotator cuff. The four muscles are the supraspi ...

, anteriorly to overlie the

intertubercular groove The bicipital groove (intertubercular groove, sulcus intertubercularis) is a deep groove on the humerus that separates the greater tubercle from the lesser tubercle. It allows for the long tendon of the biceps brachii muscle to pass. Structure ...

, medially to the

acromioclavicular joint The acromioclavicular joint, or AC joint, is a joint at the top of the shoulder. It is the junction between the acromion (part of the scapula that forms the highest point of the shoulder) and the clavicle. It is a plane synovial joint. Structure ...

, and posteriorly over the rotator cuff. The SSB decreases

friction Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction: *Dry friction is a force that opposes the relative lateral motion of t ...

, and allows free motion of the rotator cuff relative to the coracoacromial arch and the deltoid muscle. French anatomist and surgeon

Jean-François Jarjavay Jean-François Jarjavay (25 April 1815 – 22 April 1868) was a French anatomist and surgeon who was a native of Savignac-les-Églises in the department of Dordogne. He practised medicine at the Hôpital Lourcine and Hôpital Beaujon in Paris ...

is credited as the first to describe morbid processes of the SSB in 1867. Since then, histologic studies have documented that

synovial membrane The synovial membrane (also known as the synovial stratum, synovium or stratum synoviale) is a specialized connective tissue that lines the inner surface of capsules of synovial joints and tendon sheath. It makes direct contact with the fibrous ...

may undergo inflammatory and/or degenerative changes and many now believe that they correspond to different stages in the spectrum of disease, with long-lasting inflammation leading to degeneration and

fibrosis Fibrosis, also known as fibrotic scarring, is a pathological wound healing in which connective tissue replaces normal parenchymal tissue to the extent that it goes unchecked, leading to considerable tissue remodelling and the formation of perma ...

.Arend CF. Ultrasound of the Shoulder. Master Medical Books, 2013. Read a sample chapter on the pathogenesis of shoulder bursitis a
ShoulderUS.com
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References

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* {{Authority control Synovial bursae Upper limb anatomy

See also

References

Sources