Athletic Training & Sports Medicine Center

AH 321 Assessment of Athletic Injuries/Illnesses Laboratory

Bony Palpation Skill Sheet

Hand & Wrist	Arm	Hip, Pelvis & Spine	Foot & Ankle
Forearm	Shoulder Girdle	Knee	Head & Face
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Shoulder Girdle

Bony Landmark (include alternative name if applicable)	Related Information such as purpose, function, attachment of ligaments, tendon, soft tissues involved	Preferred Body & Joint Position best for palpation	Anatomical Description of Location relative to other structures	Skeleton Picture or Video	Model Picture or Video
Scapula medial (vertebral) border	Attaches to ribs 2-7	Patient standing, arms by side, relaxed	Located 2" from the spinous processes
Scapula lateral (axillary) border	Origin of the triceps brachii long head, teres minor, and teres major muscles	Position the patient with the elbow flexed about 90 degrees and behind the back; the patient may be seated or standing	From the most inferior point of the scapula move superior and lateral along the scapula, this makes up the lateral border
Scapula inferior angle	Origin of teres major	Prone	Inferior portion of scapula
Scapula superior angle	Insertion of serratus anterior muscle, levator scapula muscle, and attachment for supraspinatus muscle	Patient standing, arms by side, relaxed	Located just lateral to the 2nd rib and superior to the spine of the scapula	XX	XX
Supraspinatus fossa	Fossa in which the supraspinatus muscle is located	Patient sitting or standing with back to the examiner	Located just superior to the spine of the scapula
Infraspinatus fossa	Formed by the space between the infraspinatus muscle and the spine of the clavicle	Prone	Inferior to the spine of the scapula
Spine of scapula	The spine of the scapula serves as the attachment for the deltoid and the trapezius muscles	The patient should be standing and relaxed	The spine of the scapula is a sharp subcutaneous ridge running diagonally across the posterior surface of the shoulder blade
Coracoid process	Origin for the Corocobrachialis muscle	Standing erect or seated	Press laterally and posteriorly under the anterior edge of the clavicle about one inch from the lateral end of the clavicle
Acromion process	Articulates with the clavicle (forms the AC joint); coracoacromial ligament attaches here;	Sitting or standing	Distal to the lateral 1/3 of the clavicle; "summit of the shoulder;"
Clavicle	Serves as an attachment for the pectoralis major, deltoid, and trapezius muscles	Patient sitting in a chair with the examiner sitting behind them	Located lateral from the sternoclavicular joint
Clavicle sternal end	Fits into the manbrium of the sternum to form the sternoclavicular joint	Patient can be seated, standing, or supine	Located by following the clavicle medially until you get to the nodule that sticks out (which is the insertion for the sternocleidomastoid muscle); It is located just before the trachea.
Clavicle acromial end, AC joint or acromioclavicular joint	Supported by the coracoclavicular ligaments (trapezoid and conoid); superior and inferior AC ligaments also provide stability	Short-sitting or standing	Where the distal end of the clavicle articulates with the acromion