Anatomy
The scapula has a body, neck, and spine; any of these may be fractured. The most commonly injured areas are the scapular body, spine, neck, and glenoid rim; the scapular body or neck is injured in about 80% of cases. Fractures that occur in the body may be vertical, horizontal, or comminuted (involving multiple fragments). Those that occur in the neck are usually parallel to the glenoid fossa. When they occur in the glenoid fossa, fractures are usually small chips out of the bone or extensions of fractures occurring in the scapular neck.
The scapula is protected from the front by the ribcage and chest, and from the back it is protected by a thick layer of muscles. Also, the scapula is able to move, so traumatic forces exerted on it are dissipated, not absorbed by the bone. Thus a large amount of force is required to fracture it.
Read more about this topic: Scapular Fracture
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