Dictionary Definition
shoulder
Noun
1 the part of the body between the neck and the
upper arm
2 a cut of beef from the shoulder of the
animal
3 a ball-and-socket joint between the head of the
humerus and a cavity of the scapula [syn: shoulder
joint, articulatio
humeri]
4 narrow edge of land (usually unpaved) along the
side of a road [syn: berm]
Verb
1 lift onto one's shoulders
2 push with the shoulders; "He shouldered his way
into the crowd"
3 carry a burden, either real or metaphoric;
"shoulder the burden"
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
Noun
- The joint between the
arm and the torso, sometimes including the
surrounding area.
- The parrot was sitting on Steve's shoulder.
- A part of a road where
drivers may stop in an emergency; a hard
shoulder (UK)
- He stopped the car on the shoulder of the highway to change the flat tire.
Derived terms
- cold shoulder
- hard shoulder
- shoulder blade
- shoulder check
- shoulder pad
- shoulder season
- shoulder to cry on
Translations
joint between arm and torso
- Aramaic:
- Armenian: ուս (uss)
- Catalan: espatlla
- Chinese: 肩 (jiān)
- Croatian: rame
- Czech: rameno
- Danish: skulder
- Dutch: schouder
- Esperanto: ŝultro
- Estonian: õlg
- Finnish: hartia, olkapää
- French: épaule
- German: Schulter
- Hebrew: כתף
- Hungarian: váll
- Icelandic: öxl
- Italian: spalla
- Japanese: 肩 (かた, kata)
- Kurdish:
- Sorani: شان
- Portuguese: ombro
- Romanian: umăr
- Russian: плечо
- Scottish Gaelic: gualann
- Serbian: naplećnik, plećka, rame
- Slovak: plece
- Slovene: rama
- Spanish: hombro
- Swedish: skuldra, axel
part of a road where drivers may stop in an
emergency
- Catalan: voral , vorera d'emergència
- Chinese: 路肩 (lùjiān)
- Danish: rabat
- Dutch: berm, vluchtstrook
- Finnish: piennar, (tienreuna)
- French: bande d'arrêt d'urgence; italbrac Quebec: accotement stabilisé
- German: Haltebucht
- Hebrew: שוליים m|p, שול m s
- Hungarian: útpadka
- Italian: banchina
- Portuguese: acostamento
- Russian: обочина
- Slovak: krajnica
- Spanish: acotamiento italbrac Mexico, arcén italbrac Spain, banquina , berma , espaldón italbrac Costa Rica, hombrillo italbrac Venezuela, hombro italbrac Panama, paseo italbrac Dominican Republic
- Swedish: vägren
- ttbc Albanian: sup
- ttbc Arabic:
- ttbc Ido: shultro
- ttbc Korean: 어깨 (eokkae)
- ttbc Polish: bark
- ttbc Romanian: umăr , spate m|f
- ttbc Telugu: భుజము (bhujamu)
Verb
Translations
push (a person or thing) using one's shoulder
- Hungarian: tolakszik, furakodik
carry (something) on one's shoulders
accept responsibility for
- Hungarian: vállal, elvállal
Extensive Definition
In human
anatomy, the shoulder joint comprises the part of the body
where the humerus
attaches to the scapula.
The shoulder refers to the group of structures in the region of the
joint.
It is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the
scapula (shoulder
blade), and the humerus
(upper arm bone) as well as associated muscles, ligaments and
tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make
up the shoulder joints.
The shoulder must be flexible for the wide range of motion required
in the arms and hands and also strong enough to allow for actions
such as lifting, pushing and pulling. The compromise between these
two functions results in a large number of shoulder
problems not faced by other joints such as the hip.
Joints of the shoulder
There are three joints of the shoulder: The glenohumeral, acromioclavicular, and the sternoclavicular joints.Glenohumeral joint
The glenohumeral joint is the main joint of the shoulder and the generic term "shoulder joint" usually refers to it. It is a ball and socket joint that allows the arm to rotate in a circular fashion or to hinge out and up away from the body. It is formed by the articulation between the head of the humerus and the lateral scapula. The "ball" of the joint is the rounded, medial anterior surface of the humerus and the "socket" is formed by the glenoid fossa, the dish-shaped portion of the lateral scapula. The shallowness of the fossa and relatively loose connections between the shoulder and the rest of the body allows the arm to have tremendous mobility, at the expense of being much easier to dislocate than most other joints in the body.The capsule is
a soft tissue envelope that encircles the glenohumeral joint and
attaches to the scapula,
humerus, and head of the
biceps. It is lined by a
thin, smooth synovial
membrane. This capsule is strengthened by the coracohumeral
ligament which attaches the coracoid process of the scapula to the
greater tubercle of the humerus. There are also three other
ligaments attaching the lesser tubercle of the humerus to lateral
scapula and are collectively called the glenohumeral
ligaments.
There is also a ligament called semicirculare
humeri which is a transversal band between the posterior sides of
the tuberculum minus and majus of the humerus. This band is one of
the most important strengthening ligaments of the joint
capsule.
Acromioclavicular joint
The acromioclavicular (AC) joint is located between the acromion process of the scapula (part of the scapula that forms the highest point of the shoulder) and the distal end of the clavicle.The capsule of this joint is reinforced by the
coracoclavicular ligament between the scapula and clavicle at the
point of articulation. The coracoclavicular ligament in further
detail is created by the conoid ligament, medial from the coracoid
process of the scapula and inserts on the conoid tubercle of the
clavicle. Lateral to the conoid ligament is the trapezoid ligament,
which runs from the coracoid process of the scapula to the
trapezoid line of the clavicle. One more ligament, the
coracoacromial ligament, running from the coracoid process to the
acromion of the scapula contributes to the integrity of the
acromioclavicular joint.
Sternoclavicular joint
The sternoclavicular occurs at the medial end of the clavicle with the manubrium or top most portion of the sternum. The clavicle is triangular and rounded and the manubrium is convex the two bones articulate. The joint consists of a tight capsule and complete intra-articular disc which ensures stability of the joint. The costoclavicular ligament is the main limitation to movemnet, therefore, the main stabiliser of the joint. A fibrocartilaginous disc present at the joint increases the range of movement. Sternoclavicular subluxation is rare, however can be caused by direct trauma.Movements of the shoulder
The muscles and joints of the shoulder allow it to move through a remarkable range of motion, making it the most mobile joint in the human body. The shoulder can abduct, adduct (such as during the shoulder fly), rotate, be raised in front of and behind the torso and move through a full 360° in the sagittal plane. This tremendous range of motion also makes the shoulder extremely unstable, far more prone to dislocation and injury than other joints.Major muscles
The muscles that are responsible for movement in the shoulder attach to the scapula, humerus, and clavicle. The muscles that surround the shoulder form the shoulder cap and underarm.Rotator cuff
The rotator cuff
is a structure composed of tendons that, with associated muscles
(supraspinatus,
infraspinatus,
teres
minor and subscapularis),
holds the ball at the top of the humerus in the glenoid socket and
provideoulder joint. The tendons of the rotator cuff muscles also
connect to the capsule of the glenohumeral joint.
Two filmy sac-like structures called bursae
permit smooth gliding between bone, muscle, and tendon. They
cushion and protect the rotator cuff from the bony arch of the
acromion.
Measurement of shoulder loads
For understanding normal and pathologic shoulder
function knowledge of forces in the glenohumeral joint is
essential. It forms the basis for performing fracture treatment or
joint replacement surgery, for optimizing implant design and
fixation and for improving and verifying analytical biomechanical
models of the shoulder. With instrumented shoulder implants the
joint contact forces and moments can be measured in vivo during
different activities.
Additional images
Medical problems
See also
References
- Calais-Germain, Blandine. "Anatomy of Movement", Eastland Press, 1993. ISBN 0-939616-17-3
- Martini, Frederic; Timmons, Michael; McKinnley, Michael. "Human Anatomy", 3rd Edition, Prentice-Hall, 2000. ISBN 0-13-010011-0
The Chip-on-the-shoulder is what happens when
people get in car-crashes, and their shoulders chip or flake in
abnormal ways, and prohibit the normal functioning of the shoulder
and its associated muscles.
External links
shoulder in Arabic: كتف
shoulder in Asturian: Costazu
shoulder in Aymara: Taru
shoulder in Catalan: Espatlla
shoulder in Pennsylvania German: Schulter
shoulder in German: Schulter
shoulder in Spanish: Hombro
shoulder in Esperanto: Ŝultro
shoulder in French: Épaule
shoulder in Korean: 어깨
shoulder in Italian: Spalla (anatomia)
shoulder in Hebrew: כתף
shoulder in Latin: Umerus
shoulder in Lithuanian: Petys
shoulder in Lingala: Libɛkɛ
shoulder in Dutch: Schouder
shoulder in Japanese: 肩
shoulder in Norwegian Nynorsk: Skulder
shoulder in Pangasinan: Abala
shoulder in Polish: Obręcz kończyny górnej
shoulder in Portuguese: Ombro
shoulder in Russian: Плечо
shoulder in Sicilian: Spadda
shoulder in Simple English: Shoulder
shoulder in Finnish: Olkapää
shoulder in Swedish: Axel (kroppsdel)
shoulder in Telugu: భుజం
shoulder in Turkish: Omuz
shoulder in Vlaams: Schoere
shoulder in Yiddish: אקסל
shoulder in Chinese: 肩
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
Chateaubriand, abutment, accept, advocate, afford support,
alpenstock, ankle, arc-boutant, arm, arm in arm, articulation, as one,
ascender, assault, associate with,
assume, athletic
supporter, avoid, back, back up, backbone, backing, bandeau, bank, bastard type, beam, beam-end, bear, bear up, bear upon, beard, bearer, belly, bevel, bilge, black letter, blade roast,
blain, bleb, blister, blob, bluntly, body, bolster, bolster up, boost, boss, boundary, bow, bra, brace, bracer, bracket, brassiere, breakwater, breast, brisket, bubble, buck, buckle down, bulb, bulge, bull, bulla, bulldoze, bulwark, bump, bump against, bunch, bunt, buoy up, burl, butt, butt against, button, buttress, buttress pier,
buttressing,
cahot, candidly, cane, cap, capital, carrier, carry, case, cervix, chine, chuck, chuck roast, clinch, clod, closure, clump, cold cuts, cold-shoulder,
condyle, connecting
link, connecting rod, connection, consort with,
convex, cooperatively, corbel, corset, counter, coupling, cradle, cram, crook, crowd, crutch, cushion, cut dead, descender, dig, directly, dovetail, dowel, drive, ear, edge, elbow, em, embankment, embrace, en, exclude, face, fat-faced type, feet, filet mignon, flange, flank, flap, flying buttress, font, force, foundation garment,
frankly, fraternize
with, fulcrum, gall, girdle, give support, gliding
joint, gnarl, goad, gradin, gradino, groin, groove, guy, guywire, hand in hand, handle, hanging buttress,
hill, hinge, hinged joint, hip, hob, hobnob with, hold, hold up, honestly, hump, hunch, hurtle, hustle, in partnership, interface, italic, jab, jam, jetty, jock, jockstrap, jog, joggle, join, joining, joint, jointly, jolt, jostle, juncture, jutty, keep afloat, keep company
with, keep up, knee,
knob, knot, knuckle, knuckle down, knur, knurl, ledge, lend support, letter, ligature, link, lip, logotype, loin, loop, lower case, lump, mainstay, maintain, maintainer, majuscule, make an effort,
make every effort, mantel, mantelshelf, margin, mast, minuscule, miter, mix with, mole, mortise, mountain, neck, nevus, nick, nub, nubbin, nubble, nudge, openly, ostracize, outright, papilloma, peg, pi, pica, pier, pier buttress, pile drive,
pillow, pitch in,
pivot, pivot joint,
plainly, plate, plate piece, point, poke, pot roast, predella, press, print, prod, prop, punch, push, rabbet, rack, ram, ram down, rampart, rattle, rebuff, reinforce, reinforcement, reinforcer, reject, rest, resting place, retable, retaining wall,
rib, rib roast, ribs, ridge, rigging, ring, roast, rolled roast, roman, round, rump, rump roast, run, run against, saddle, sans serif, scarf, script, seam, seawall, set to work, shake, shank, shelf, shore, shore up, short ribs,
shoulder clod, shoulder to shoulder, shove, shroud, shun, side, sirloin, small cap, small
capital, snub, spine, sprit, staff, stamp, standing rigging, stave, stay, stem, stick, stiffener, stitch, straightforwardly,
strengthener,
stress, strive, stud, style, subsidize, subvention, superaltar, support, supporter, sustain, sustainer, suture, symphysis, tab, take on, tamp, tenderloin, thrust, thrust aside, tie rod,
toggle, toggle joint,
tubercle, tubercule, type, type body, type class, type
lice, typecase,
typeface, typefounders, typefoundry, unambiguously, unashamedly, underbrace, undergird, underlie, underpin, underset, unequivocally, union, united, upbear, uphold, upholder, upkeep, upper case, verge, verruca, vesicle, wale, walking stick, wart, weld, welt, work hard, wrist