Upper limb
Teres Minor
Musculus teres minor
- Origin
- Lateral border of the scapula
- Insertion
- Greater tubercle of the humerus (lower facet)
- Function
- External rotation of the shoulder; part of the rotator cuff
- Innervation
- Axillary nerve (C5-C6)
- Movement & chain
- Works together with infraspinatus as the principal external rotator of the shoulder and stabilizes the humeral head during overhead movements.
- Palpation
- Palpable directly below infraspinatus, along the lateral border of the scapula, during external rotation against resistance with the elbow flexed 90 degrees.
- Clinical
- Can lose function together with the axillary nerve after a shoulder dislocation, resulting in loss of external rotation strength.
- Segmental innervation
- Axillary nerve, C5-C6.
- In clinical practice
- Safe transfer techniques avoiding arm traction (prevents shoulder subluxation in stroke patients); monitor injection sites and offload scapular pressure.
- Region in the model
- Upper limb