I’ve been doing some research but it has failed to answer my question.
Can a winged scapula be caused by an injury such as a fall? All the information I’ve talked about deals with either congenital defects or diseases. Thanks.
Most cases are due to direct injury to the long thoracic nerve or its origin in the brachial plexus , eg. stabbing. However, the comments below seem to indicate that it may arise indirectly due to injury.
From a doctor at the Cleveland Clinic *.
As you are already apparently aware, a “winged scapula” results from paralysis or weakness of the serratus anterior muscle, which normally helps stabilize the scapula, particularly during foreward pushing motion with the arms. It is supplied by the long thoraccic nerve, which arises very soon after cervical spinal nerve roots C5,C6, and C7. It is rare for this nerve to be injured occupationally or for it to become entrapped. Entrapment of another two nerves that supply two other shoulder muscles in the rotator cuff (supra- and infraspinatus muscles) is much more common. The most common neurologic disease that afflicts the long thoraccic nerve is called neuralgic amyotrophy, or Parsonage-Turner syndrome. *Usually the disease follows a triggering event (virus, surgery, injury etc.) *and then begins as intense pain in one or both shoulders or arms, follwed 3 or so weeks later by weakness and wasting of muscles supplied by one or more of the peripheral nerves that supply the arms. Involvement of shoulder girdle
[sub][sup]* emphasis added[/sup][/sub]