The suprascapular notch is a notch in the superior border of the scapula, just medial to the base of the coracoid process. It is bridged by the superior transverse scapular ligament, with the suprascapular nerve passing below the ligament and the suprascapular artery usually above it.
| Articulations | |
|---|---|
| Landmarks |
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| Ossification | Lies on the superior border of the scapular body, which ossifies from the primary centre at about the eighth fetal week; the transverse scapular ligament may ossify in adults. |
The suprascapular nerve can be trapped in the notch, causing deep posterior shoulder pain and weakness and wasting of supraspinatus and infraspinatus. Entrapment occurs in overhead athletes, from a ganglion cyst, or with an ossified transverse ligament that converts the notch into a foramen. Treatment includes release of the ligament, and the notch is also the target for suprascapular nerve block.
Compression of the nerve at the notch under the transverse scapular ligament causes posterolateral shoulder pain and weakness of shoulder abduction and external rotation.
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