What action of the scapula brings the medial border closer to the spine?

The action of the scapula that brings the medial border closer to the spine is protraction. During protraction, the scapula moves away from the midline of the body and the medial borders of both scapulae slide forward, which can create the illusion of a more prominent shoulder region. However, in the context of the question, it’s important to clarify that the term may be used in various contexts to describe different muscular dynamics around the scapula.

The action specifically designed to bring the medial border closer to the spine is retraction, not protraction. Protraction would actually result in the scapula moving further away from the spine. Meanwhile, elevation refers to a movement where the scapula moves upward towards the ears, and depression involves the scapula moving downward, away from the ears. Rotation describes circular movement that changes the orientation of the scapula but does not directly impact the distance of the medial border from the spine.

In terms of understanding scapular movements, retraction would bring the medial borders closer to the spine through the contraction of the rhomboids and middle trapezius muscles, effectively pulling the scapula back toward the vertebral column.