The supraglenoid tubercle is a region of the

scapula The scapula (plural scapulae or scapulas), also known as the shoulder blade, is the bone that connects the humerus (upper arm bone) with the clavicle (collar bone). Like their connected bones, the scapulae are paired, with each scapula on eith ...

from which the long head of the biceps brachii muscle originates. It is a small, rough projection superior to the

glenoid cavity The glenoid fossa of the scapula or the glenoid cavity is a bone part of the shoulder. The word ''glenoid'' is pronounced or (both are common) and is from el, gléne, "socket", reflecting the shoulder joint's ball-and-socket form. It is a sha ...

near the base of the

coracoid process The coracoid process (from Greek κόραξ, raven) is a small hook-like structure on the lateral edge of the superior anterior portion of the scapula (hence: coracoid, or "like a raven's beak"). Pointing laterally forward, it, together with the ...

. The term supraglenoid is from the Latin ''supra,'' meaning above, and ''glenoid,'' meaning socket or cavity.

Clinical relevance

Biceps tendonitis

Biceps

tendonitis Tendinopathy, a type of tendon disorder that results in pain, swelling, and impaired function. The pain is typically worse with movement. It most commonly occurs around the shoulder ( rotator cuff tendinitis, biceps tendinitis), elbow ( tennis e ...

originates on the long head of the biceps brachii at the supraglenoid tubercle in 30% of cases. The main symptom is generally anterior biceps instability, but the disease can also be characterized by chronic anterior shoulder pain which radiates towards the lateral part of the

elbow The elbow is the region between the arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and the me ...

. In cases of biceps tendinitis, steroids can be injected fluoroscopically at the supraglenoid tubercle to reduce pain associated with the pathology.

Avulsion

The supraglenoid tubercle ossifies separately from the rest of the scapula, so may not be as strong as the rest of the bone. It can be pulled off ( avulsed), often after an excessively strong contraction of the biceps brachii. This may also cause a fracture of the surrounding parts of the scapula, particularly the

. This may also occur in horses. This type of bone fracture is quite rare.

Additional images

File:Supraglenoid tubercle of left scapula - animation.gif, Position of supraglenoid tubercle (shown in red). left scapula. File:Supraglenoid tubercle of left scapula01.png, Still image. Left scapula, lateral view. File:Supraglenoid tubercle of scapula - animation02.gif, Position of supraglenoid tubercle (shown in red). Animation. File:Supraglenoid tubercle of scapula01.png, Still image.

References

External links