Winged scapula

A winged scapula is a condition in which the shoulder blade, or shoulder bone, protrudes from a person’s back in an abnormal position.

It can lead to limited functional activity in the upper extremity to which it is adjacent. It can affect a person’s ability to lift, pull, and push weighty objects. In some serious cases, the ability to perform activities of daily living such as changing one’s clothes and washing one’s hair may be hindered. The name of this condition comes from its appearance, a wing-like resemblance, due to the medial border of the scapula sticking straight out from the back.

The most common cause of scapular winging is serratus anterior paralysis. This is typically caused by damage to the long thoracic nerve. This nerve supplies the serratus anterior, which is located on the side of the thorax and acts to pull the scapula forward. Serratus anterior palsy is a dysfunction that is characteristic of traumatic, non-traumatic, and idiopathic injury to the long thoracic nerve.