When a bursa is involved, the snapping problem could start as an isolated injury or it could be the result of repetitive (abnormal) motions of the scapulothoracic joint.Ī less common cause is the development of a benign tumor called an osteochondroma. After years of movement, the repetitive motion eventually causes a wear pattern that results in the snapping scapula syndrome. Studies show that sometimes there's a change in the shape or curvature of the scapula. There isn't one reason why someone develops snapping scapula syndrome. The person with this problem may or may not experience pain with the movement. The tissue caught between these two structures could be a bursa, tendon, or muscle.

The sound is made by some soft tissue rubbing between the scapula and the thoracic wall. The medical term for this sound is crepitus. The snapping scapula syndrome is characterized by a loud pop or crack when the arm is raised up overhead. One particular problem called the snapping scapula syndrome is an example of what can happen when any one of these layers is disrupted for any reason. Any change in the glenohumeral-to-scapulothoracic ratio can result in altered or compromised shoulder motion. Scapulothoracic movement requires proper length-tension ratios between the scapular bone and all of the muscles around it. This means that for every two degrees of shoulder motion (flexion or abduction), the scapula moves one degree over the thoracic wall. The scapula itself slides, glides, and rotates in a 2:1 ratio with the shoulder. The scapula gives the glenohumeral joint (shoulder) a stable base from which to operate (move). Because there is movement but no actual joint, this connection is considered a pseudojoint. These layers (superficial, intermediate, and deep) form a smooth surface for the scapula to move, glide, and rotate over. The bursae are small fluid-filled sacs designed to reduce friction between muscle or tendon and bone. Three layers of muscle and bursae (plural for bursa) support this structure. There isn't a real joint between the scapula and the trunk. It is suspended over the ribs between the spine and the arm by only two ligaments. The scapula (shoulder blade) is an amazing anatomical structure.

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