Can a Pinched Nerve Cause a Winged Scapula?

James H. Sterling
James H. Sterling
• • 6 min read

Paralysis of This Muscle Caused by Long Thoracic Nerve Long Thoracic Nerve the Long Thoracic Nerve Is the Motor Nerve to the Serratus Anterior Muscle, Which...

Can a Pinched Nerve Cause a Winged Scapula?

Paralysis of this muscle caused by long thoracic nerve

long thoracic nerve
The long thoracic nerve is the motor nerve to the serratus anterior muscle, which functions to pull the scapula forward around the thorax, allowing for anteversion of the arm, and to lift the ribs, assisting in respiration.
injury can induce a particular type of scapular winging. At rest, the scapula as a whole is translocated medially with the inferior angle rotated medially.

What nerve is affected with winged scapula?

Scapular winging is almost always caused by damage to one of three nerves that control muscles in your arms, back, and neck: the long thoracic nerve, which controls the serratus anterior muscle. the dorsal scapular nerve, which controls the rhomboid muscles.

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What is the most common cause of scapular winging?

The commonest cause of scapular winging is serratus anterior paralysis, a dysfunction attributed to traumatic [2, 4, 8, 9, 11], non-traumatic [6, 8, 11, 28, 41, 51–53], and idiopathic [6, 8, 11, 28–30] lesions of the long thoracic nerve.

James H. Sterling

James H. Sterling

Environmental Science & Climate Journalist
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James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.