Question:hard
All of the following movements occur during abduction of the shoulder, except:
All of the following movements occur during abduction of the shoulder, except:
Show Hint
During abduction the glenoid must turn upward, so which direction does the scapula really rotate?
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Elevation of humerus
- Axial rotation of clavicle
- Medial rotation of scapula
- Acromioclavicular joint movement
Show Solution
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Raising the arm overhead is a team effort between the ball and socket joint and the shoulder girdle, captured by the scapulohumeral rhythm in which roughly two thirds of the arc comes from the glenohumeral joint and one third from the scapula.
Run through each option as a true or false statement. Elevation of the humerus is the basic action of lifting the arm, so it is true. For the scapula to swing its socket upward and keep the head of the humerus seated, the scapula must turn so the glenoid faces up; anatomically this is upward or lateral rotation. As the scapula rotates, the clavicle has to pivot, and because of the curved shape of the clavicle this includes a twist about its long axis, the axial or crankshaft rotation at the sternoclavicular joint, so that statement is true. None of this scapular and clavicular motion is possible without sliding at the acromioclavicular and sternoclavicular joints, so acromioclavicular joint movement is also true.
That leaves the description medial rotation of the scapula. Since the scapula actually rotates laterally (glenoid upward) during abduction, calling it medial rotation is wrong, and an except question wants the false statement.
$\Rightarrow$ the movement that does not occur is medial rotation of the scapula.
\[\boxed{\text{Medial rotation of scapula}}\]
Run through each option as a true or false statement. Elevation of the humerus is the basic action of lifting the arm, so it is true. For the scapula to swing its socket upward and keep the head of the humerus seated, the scapula must turn so the glenoid faces up; anatomically this is upward or lateral rotation. As the scapula rotates, the clavicle has to pivot, and because of the curved shape of the clavicle this includes a twist about its long axis, the axial or crankshaft rotation at the sternoclavicular joint, so that statement is true. None of this scapular and clavicular motion is possible without sliding at the acromioclavicular and sternoclavicular joints, so acromioclavicular joint movement is also true.
That leaves the description medial rotation of the scapula. Since the scapula actually rotates laterally (glenoid upward) during abduction, calling it medial rotation is wrong, and an except question wants the false statement.
$\Rightarrow$ the movement that does not occur is medial rotation of the scapula.
\[\boxed{\text{Medial rotation of scapula}}\]
Was this answer helpful?
0
