THE SHOULDER-GIRDLE 



225 



The capsular ligament, per se, has not much strength. There are two openings 

 in it one is for the long tendon of the biceps and the other is the opening of the 

 bursa beneath the subscapularis muscle. Sometimes there is a synovial extension 

 beneath the supraspinatus tendon and rarely, in old people, a communication with 

 the subacromial bursa. It is evident that in case of suppuration within the joint the 

 pus would tend to find vent first through these openings. 



The laxity of the capsule is such that after the muscles are removed the head 

 can be drawn a considerable distance away from the glenoid cavity. When the mus- 



Acromion process 



Clavicle 



Coracoclavicular ligaments 



Coraco-acromial ligament 



Coracoid process 



Long head of biceps 



Glenoid cavity 



FIG. 239. View of the left scapula and outer end of the clavicle from in front, showing the ligaments pass- 

 ing from the coracoid process to the clavicle and acromion process, the glenoid ligament, and attachments of the 

 long heads of the biceps and triceps muscles. 



cles are paralyzed the weight of the arm causes the head to fall away and a depres- 

 sion is seen beneath the acromion process. The capsule is strengthened by two 

 definite and separate ligamentous bands called the coracohumeral and the gleno- 

 humeral ligaments. 



The coracohumeral ligament passes from the root of the coracoid process to the 

 anterior portion of the greater tuberosity. It is supposed by Sutton to be a regres- 

 sion of the tendon of the pectoralis minor muscle. 



The glenohumeral ligament is a ribbon-like band seen lying alongside of the 



inner edge of the biceps tendon as it passes through the interior of the joint. It 



passes from the root of the coracoid process near the edge of the glenoid cavity to a 



dimple in the lesser tuberosity of the humerus. Sutton considers it a regression of 



15 



