Houston Methodist. Leading Medicine  Shoulder FAQ   I found a
few things on the Internet about something called snapping
scapular syndrome. Most of what I found was on your site. What
else can you tell me about this problem?   The snapping scapula
syndrome is characterized by a loud pop or crack when the arm is
raised up overhead. The medical term for this sound is crepitus.
The sound is made by some soft tissue rubbing between the
scapula and the thoracic wall. The tissue caught between these
two structures could be a bursa, tendon, or muscle. The person
with this problem may or may not experience pain with the
movement. A little understanding of the upper quadrant anatomy
might help understand what's going on with this condition. Then
we can talk about what causes it. The scapula (shoulder blade)
is an amazing anatomical structure. It is suspended over the
ribs between the spine and the arm by only two ligaments. There
isn't a real joint between the scapula and the trunk. Three
layers of muscle and bursae (