# What is the shoulder blade called?

The shoulder blade is called the scapula. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a large, flat, triangular bone.

## What it means

- A large, flat, triangular bone.
- Bears a projecting spine on the back, ending in the acromion.
- Has a shallow socket (the glenoid cavity) that receives the head of the humerus.

## Action steps

1. On the upper back, over the second to seventh ribs.
2. Articulates with the clavicle at the acromioclavicular joint.
3. Articulates with the humerus at the shoulder joint.

## Sources

- [Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918)](https://www.bartleby.com/107/)

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