Intratherapist Reliability in the Rating of Scapula Posture in Multiple Planes of Reference

Table 1

Criteria for rating of scapular posture in the five planes.

Rating	Criteria
Scapula plane
Upwardly rotated	Scapula spine has a strong supero-lateral inclination, medial scapula border has a strong infero-lateral inclination.
Neutral	Scapula spine has a slight supero-lateral inclination, medial scapula border has a slight infero-lateral inclination.
Downwardly rotated	Scapula spine has a horizontal or infero-lateral inclination, medial scapula border has an infero-medial inclination.
Sagittal plane
Anteriorly tilted	Inferior scapular angle is prominent relative to the thorax and the superior angle.
Neutral	Scapula sits flush on the thorax with no prominence of the inferior scapular angle.
Posteriorly tilted	Scapular has minimal or no forward inclination, superior angle is prominent relative to the thorax.
Transverse plane
Internally rotated	Entire medial scapular border is prominent relative to the thorax.
Neutral	Scapula is rotated forward (in the vicinity of 30 degrees) with no prominence of the medial scapular border.
Externally rotated	Scapula has minimal or no forward rotation in the transverse plane.
Vertical plane
Elevated	Medial scapular spine and inferior scapular angle superior to the T3-4 and T7–9 spinous processes, respectively.
Neutral	Medial scapular spine and inferior scapular angle level with the T3-4 and T7–9 spinous processes, respectively.
Depressed	Medial scapular spine and inferior scapular angle inferior to the T3-4 and T7–9 spinous processes, respectively.
Horizontal plane
Protracted	Medial scapular border rests further than approximately 2 inches from the midline.
Neutral	Medial scapular border rests approximately 2 inches from the midline.
Retracted	Medial scapular border rests closer than approximately 2 inches from the midline.