Teres minor (Musculus teres minor)
Educational content only — not medical advice.
Anatomy
A narrow strap running along the lateral border of the scapula below and parallel to infraspinatus; the fourth rotator-cuff muscle, separated from teres major by the axillary nerve and posterior circumflex humeral artery in the quadrangular space.
Origin & insertion
Posterior surface of the lateral border of the scapula in its upper two-thirds. Inferior facet of the greater tubercle of the humerus.
Action
Laterally rotates the arm and steadies the humeral head in the joint with the rest of the cuff.
Innervation
Axillary nerve (C5–C6).
Clinical notes
Injured together with the axillary nerve in inferior shoulder dislocation and surgical-neck fractures; quadrangular-space syndrome compresses both the nerve and the posterior circumflex artery.
Related structures
Educational references
FAQ
What is the role of the Teres minor?
A narrow strap running along the lateral border of the scapula below and parallel to infraspinatus; the fourth rotator-cuff muscle, separated from teres major by the axillary nerve and posterior circumflex humeral artery in the quadrangular space.
Why is the Teres minor clinically important?
Injured together with the axillary nerve in inferior shoulder dislocation and surgical-neck fractures; quadrangular-space syndrome compresses both the nerve and the posterior circumflex artery.
Source & license
BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science licensed under CC Attribution 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). license details