A winged scapula

Three patients, one woman aged 22 and two men aged 54 and 28, presented with scapular winging. In the first patient amyotrophic plexus neuralgia was diagnosed. The second patient most probably suffered from a stretch injury of the long thoracic nerve. The third patient had scapular winging due to an isolated paresis of the trapezius muscle, which was caused by an idiopathic lesion of the accessory nerve. In the first and second patient an improvement was noticeable after 9 months and I,5 years respectively. There was no improvement in the third patient after II years. Paresis of the M. serratus anterior occurs due to paralysis of the N. thoracicus longus, as a result of direct compression, stump trauma, interventions such as thoracic operations, (repeated) stretch injuries or neuralgic brachial plexus amyotrophy; in these cases the scapular winging increases as the arm is lifted forwards. Paresis of the M. trapezius occurs due to the paralysis of the N. accessorius, due to trauma, interventions such as in the neck area, a space-occupying abnormality or an idiopathic abnormality; in these cases the scapular winging increases upon the arm being lifted sideways. Another possible cause of scapular winging is muscular dystrophy, especially fascioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). Usually the prognosis for recovery from a neuropraxia and an idiopathic lesion of the N. thoracicus longus within a two-year period is good. The prognosis for an isolated lesion of the N. accessorius is much less favourable. An EMG is essential for establishing a diagnosis.