Fractured Scapula, Anterior View

Description

Anterior scapular anatomy is rendered with the costal (anterior) surface facing the viewer, dominated by the broad subscapular fossa bounded medially by the vertebral border and laterally by the axillary border. Superiorly, the neck of the scapula leads to the glenoid cavity, with the coracoid process projecting anterosuperiorly; the acromion and scapular spine are suggested at the superior lateral margin where they wrap posteriorly. A diagonal fracture line crosses the subscapular fossa toward the lateral column near the glenoid, placing the articular region and the glenoid rim in close context to the break. The clavicle is referenced superiorly as the adjacent strut of the shoulder girdle. Scapular fracture in an adult male usually implies high-energy trauma, and the anterior view is the clearest way to judge disruption of the subscapular fossa and the lateral border that transmits force toward the glenoid. Alignment here matters. A fracture that approaches the glenoid can alter the scapulohumeral relationship and may accompany glenoid fossa involvement, prompting CT evaluation for intra-articular extension and planning for fixation along the lateral column or glenoid neck. The close relationship of the fracture zone to the subscapularis origin is also clinically relevant, since displacement can tether or weaken internal rotation and complicate anterior surgical exposure. Use this artwork in orthopaedic teaching on shoulder trauma, in radiology correlation chapters that compare AP scapular views with CT reconstructions, or in surgical texts describing ORIF indications for displaced scapular neck and glenoid-adjacent fractures. It also suits patient education materials explaining why a scapula fracture often triggers a broader workup for associated chest wall injury and clavicle involvement. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.