OET Medical Vocabulary, Word of the Day
Acromion (Point of the Shoulder) – Meaning and Usage in Medical English
Nov
The acromion is the bony tip of the shoulder blade that forms the highest point of the shoulder and joins the collarbone.
👁 What Does “Acromion” Mean?
The acromion is the bony projection at the top of the scapula, forming the highest point of the shoulder.
The term comes from the Greek akron (meaning “tip” or “summit”) and ōmos (“shoulder”), literally describing “the tip of the shoulder.”
In medicine, acromion is used in orthopedics, sports medicine, emergency care, physiotherapy, and general practice—any field where shoulder assessment is common.
Because it’s easy to palpate and frequently symptomatic, it is one of the most referenced landmarks during a shoulder exam.
🔍 Clinical Usage
In clinical communication, acromion appears frequently in:
- Patient charts (e.g., “Tenderness over the acromion”)
- Physical exam notes (“No deformity or swelling noted at the acromion”)
- Radiology reports (“Mild acromial spur formation”)
- Orthopedic assessments (“Painful arc suggests impingement under the acromion”)
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Healthcare professionals often mention the acromion when assessing:
- Shoulder impingement
- Rotator cuff irritation
- Acromioclavicular (AC) joint disorders
- Trauma-related pain at the shoulder tip
A few common collocations include:
- acromial tenderness
- acromial spur
- under the acromion (subacromial space)
- acromion process
Example sentence:
“Tenderness over the acromion suggests irritation in the subacromial space.”
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👉 Watch our 20-second clip: Acromion – Learn how to pronounce it and remember how it’s used in real medical English. <
🔗 Related Words
Browse every term in our Medical English Body Parts A–Z guide.
