Teres Minor Muscle

Description

Running along the lateral border of the scapula, the teres minor is isolated as a distinct rotator cuff component on the posterolateral shoulder of an adult male. Its fibers course superolaterally from the dorsal surface of the inferior lateral scapula toward the greater tubercle of the humerus, lying superior to teres major and inferior to infraspinatus. Posteriorly, the deltoid caps the cuff, while trapezius spans the superior back and neck, framing the scapular spine and acromial region. Teres minor often gets overshadowed by supraspinatus on teaching charts, but it matters when you care about external rotation strength and the posterior cuff’s relationship to the joint capsule. Quadrilateral space syndrome classically affects the axillary nerve and posterior circumflex humeral artery between teres minor (superior), teres major (inferior), the long head of triceps (medial), and the surgical neck of the humerus (lateral), producing teres minor denervation and selective atrophy that shows up on MRI. Small muscle, specific deficits. Use this artwork to illustrate posterior shoulder anatomy in gross anatomy and kinesiology modules, to annotate rotator cuff insertions in orthopedic texts, or to orient readers to the teres minor footprint and surrounding intervals in surgical discussions of posterior approaches and axillary nerve safety. It also supports radiology teaching when correlating posterior cuff muscles with axial and sagittal oblique shoulder MR images. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.