The Shoulder

Abstract

The shoulder joint is anatomically the glenohumeral joint formed between the humeral head and the glenoid fossa of the scapula. However, functionally, it consists of a complex of four joints formed by the humerus, scapula, clavicle, and sternum bones. The shoulder functions are performed by the coordinated movements of the glenohumeral, scapulothoracic, sternoclavicular, and acromioclavicular joints and their associated contractile and noncontractile structures. In this section, the contractile and noncontractile structures of the shoulder joint and their palpation, the joints that generate the shoulder complex and these joint motions, and evidence-based exercises for the muscles responsible for shoulder function are explained. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.