Deck 4: The Shoulder Girdle

Question 1

List the scapula muscles that are primarily active in the return phase from a bench press and explain their contractions.

Answer 1

The serratus anterior and pectoralis minor are both contracting eccentrically to control retraction or adduction of the scapula during the return of the bar to the chest during the bench press return or lowering phase.

Question 2

In the context of shoulder girdle movements, which of the following terms refers to the movement of the scapula medially toward the spinal column, as in pinching the shoulder blades together?

A)Abduction
B)Elevation
C)Adduction
D)Depression

Answer 2

Adduction

Question 3

In the context of shoulder girdle movements, an anterior tilt is a consequential rotational movement of the scapula _____.

A)about the vertical axis occurring during extreme adduction
B)about the frontal axis occurring during hyperextension of the glenohumeral joint
C)resulting in the superior border moving posteroinferiorly and the inferior angle moving anterosuperiorly
D)resulting in anterior movement of the medial border and posterior movement of the lateral border

Answer 3

about the frontal axis occurring during hyperextension of the glenohumeral joint

Question 4

The shoulder girdle movements primarily involve all of the following muscles except:

A)the pectoralis major muscle.
B)the trapezius muscle.
C)the serratus anterior muscle.
D)the rhomboid major and minor muscles.

Question 5

The trapezius lower fibers are involved concentrically in all of the following actions except:

A)upward rotation.
B)depression.
C)adduction.
D)elevation.

Question 6

Which of the following is a salient feature of the upper fibers of the trapezius muscle?

A)They depress the scapula and assist in adduction.
B)They are a source of tenderness and discomfort due to chronic tension.
C)They assist in extension of the head due to their origin on the base of the skull.
D)They are primarily active in positioning the shoulder for function and posture.

Question 7

Which of the following is an important application of the trapezius muscle?

A)It is always used in preventing the glenoid fossae from being pulled down during the lifting of objects with the arms.
B)It rotates the medial border of the scapula down and back toward the spinal column when chinning movement begins.
C)It is always used in movements drawing the scapula forward with slight upward rotation, such as throwing a baseball.
D)It has a significant role in protecting and stabilizing the sternoclavicular joint during upper extremity movements.

Question 8

Which of the following statements is true about the rhomboid muscles?

A)They originate on the spinous processes of the seventh cervical and the first four thoracic vertebrae.
B)Their concentric actions include adduction and downward rotation.
C)They insert on the lateral border of the scapula below the spine.
D)They are innervated by the anterior scapular nerve (C5).

Question 9

Which of the following muscles are used powerfully in the lifting phase of chinning, an activity in which an individual hangs from a horizontal bar suspended by his or her hands and pulls himself or herself up until his or her chin is over the bar?

A)The pectoralis minor muscles
B)The serratus anterior muscles
C)The rhomboid muscles
D)The subclavius muscles

Question 10

Which of the following actions is associated with the middle fibers of the trapezius muscle?

A)Abduction, horizontal adduction, and flexion
B)Internal rotation, extension, and adduction
C)Horizontal adduction, depression, and abduction
D)Upward rotation, adduction, and elevation

Question 11

Which of the following bony landmarks is located on the anterior surface of the scapula?

A)Glenoid fossa
B)Infraspinous fossa
C)Supraspinous fossa
D)Subscapular fossa

Question 12

Which of the following bony landmarks is located on the posterior surface of the scapula?

A)Glenoid fossa
B)Posterior fossa
C)Infraspinous fossa
D)Subscapular fossa

Question 13

Which of the following actions is not performed concentrically by the trapezius muscle?

A)Downward rotation
B)Upward rotation
C)Elevation
D)Depression

Question 14

Which of the following actions is performed concentrically by the levator scapulae muscle?

A)Downward rotation
B)Upward rotation
C)Elevation
D)Depression

Question 15

Which of the following applications necessarily involves the levator scapulae muscle concentrically?

A)Stabilizing the sternoclavicular joint during upper extremity movements
B)Preventing scapula winging
C)Carrying objects on the tip of the shoulders
D)Shrugging the shoulders

Question 16

Which of the following muscles is innervated by the spinal accessory nerve and branches of C3 and C4?

A)The rhomboid muscle
B)The trapezius muscle
C)The serratus anterior muscle
D)The pectoralis minor muscle

Question 17

Which of the following muscles is innervated by the long thoracic upward nerve (C5-C7)?

A)The rhomboid muscle
B)The trapezius muscle
C)The serratus anterior muscle
D)The pectoralis minor muscle

Question 18

Which of the following actions is performed concentrically by the serratus anterior muscle?

A)Upward rotation
B)Downward rotation
C)Flexion
D)Extension

Question 19

Which of the following is a key application of the serratus anterior muscle?

A)It is used strongly in pulling the clavicle anteriorly and inferiorly toward the sternum.
B)It is used in rotating the medial border of the scapula down and back toward the spinal column.
C)It is used strenuously when lifting with the hands, as in picking up a heavy wheelbarrow.
D)It is used strongly in doing push-ups, especially in the last 5 to 10 degrees of motion.

Question 20

Which of the following muscles concentrically performs both elevation and depression?

A)The pectoralis minor muscle
B)The serratus anterior muscle
C)The rhomboid muscle
D)The trapezius muscle

Question 21

Which of the following muscles performs stabilization and protection of the sternoclavicular joint?

A)The subclavius muscle
B)The serratus anterior muscle
C)The trapezius muscle
D)The pectoralis minor muscle

Question 22

The pectoralis minor muscle is innervated by the:

A)long thoracic nerve originating from C5, C6, and C7.
B)spinal accessory nerve and from branches of C3 and C4.
C)medial pectoral nerve arising from C8 and T1.
D)dorsal scapular nerve originating from C5.

Question 23

Which of the following is an efficient way to stretch the pectoralis minor muscle?

A)By passively moving the scapula into full protraction while maintaining depression
B)By lying supine with a rolled towel directly under the thoracic spine while a partner pushes each scapula into retraction
C)By rotating the head approximately 45 degrees contralaterally and flexing the cervical spine actively while maintaining the scapula in a relaxed, depressed position
D)By extreme elevation and retraction of the shoulder girdle

Question 24

Which of the following muscles has its origin in the surface of the upper nine ribs at the side of the chest?

A)The trapezius muscle
B)The rhomboid muscle
C)The serratus anterior muscle
D)The levator scapulae muscle

Question 25

Which of the following muscles inserts on the triangular space at the base of the scapular spine?

A)The trapezius muscle
B)The rhomboid muscle
C)The serratus anterior muscle
D)The levator scapulae muscle

Question 26

Which of the following muscles would best be strengthened by the bench press and overhead press exercises?

A)The trapezius muscle
B)The rhomboid muscle
C)The serratus anterior muscle
D)The levator scapulae muscle

Question 27

Which of the following muscles is most commonly affected by scapular winging?

A)The trapezius muscle
B)The rhomboid muscle
C)The serratus anterior muscle
D)The levator scapulae muscle

Question 28

Which of the following movements involves moving the inferior angle superiorly and laterally away from the spinal column to assist in raising the arm out to the side?

A)Abduction
B)Adduction
C)Elevation
D)Upward rotation

Question 29

The concentric actions of the serratus anterior muscle include scapula abduction and upward rotation.

Question 30

The insertion of the serratus anterior muscle is on the anterior aspect of the whole length of the medial border of the scapula.

Question 31

The origin of the serratus anterior muscle is the surface of the upper seven ribs at the side of the chest.

Question 32

The origin of the levator scapulae muscle is the spinous processes of the seventh cervical and first five thoracic vertebrae.

Question 33

The levator scapulae muscle inserts on the medial border of the scapula from the superior angle to the scapular spine.

Question 34

The origin of the pectoralis major muscle is the anterior surfaces of the third to fifth ribs.

Question 35

The levator scapulae muscle when contracting concentrically is responsible for upward rotation of the inferior angle of the scapula.

Question 36

The levator scapulae muscle is innervated by the dorsal scapular nerve C5 and branches of C6.

Question 37

The sternoclavicular joint is supported anteriorly by the costoclavicular ligament.

Question 38

The origin of the rhomboid muscles is the spinous processes of the last cervical and the first seven thoracic vertebrae.

Question 39

The location of the pectoralis minor muscle facilitates its palpation with little difficulty.

Question 40

The pectoralis minor muscle can perform adduction, downward rotation, or depression when contracting concentrically.

Question 41

The coracoclavicular ligament is particularly important in providing stability to the acromioclavicular joint.

Question 42

The dorsal scapular nerve (C5) branch innervates the rhomboid muscles.

Question 43

The serratus anterior muscle when contracting concentrically performs abduction in a transverse plane of motion.

Question 44

The insertion of the levator scapulae muscle is on the transverse processes of the upper four cervical vertebrae.

Question 45

The trapezius muscles can cause adduction in a transverse plane of motion when contracting eccentrically.

Question 46

The insertion of the pectoralis minor muscle is on the coracoid process of the scapula.

Question 47

The origin of the subclavius muscle is the superior aspect of the first rib at its junction with its costal cartilage.

Question 48

The most palpable shoulder girdle muscle is the trapezius muscle.

Question 49

The scapula moves on the rib cage as a consequence of joint motion actually occurring at the acromioclavicular joint and to a lesser extent at the sternoclavicular joint.

Question 50

The scapula is unable to move on the trunk without movement of the sternoclavicular and/or acromioclavicular joints.