Glenoid fossa

Fossa glenoidea

  • Latin synonym: Fossa glenoidalis; Cavitas glenoidea
  • Synonym: Glenoid cavity
  • Related terms: Glenoid cavity

Definition

On the lateral border of the scapula is a shallow pyriform, articular surface, the glenoid cavity, which is directed lateralward and forward and articulates with the head of the humerus; it is broader below than above and its vertical diameter is the longest. The surface is covered with cartilage in the fresh state; and its margins, slightly raised, give attachment to a fibrocartilaginous structure, the glenoidal labrum, which deepens the cavity. At its apex is a slight elevation, the supraglenoid tuberosity, to which the long head of the Biceps brachii is attached.

This definition incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy (20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, published in 1918 – from http://www.bartleby.com/107/).

Comparative anatomy in animals

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