Supraspinatus Muscle, Lateral View

Description

Seen from the lateral aspect of an adult male shoulder girdle, the supraspinatus occupies the supraspinous fossa on the posterior scapula, lying superior to the scapular spine and deep to the acromion as it courses laterally toward the greater tubercle of the humerus. Its tendon passes beneath the coracoacromial arch, with the subacromial (subdeltoid) bursa interposed, and it sits superior to the infraspinatus at the posterior glenohumeral region. The clavicle and acromioclavicular region form the superior strut anterior to the scapula, while the proximal humerus aligns lateral to the glenoid. Clear bony landmarks anchor the muscle’s position. A lateral view matters because it frames the supraspinatus within the tight subacromial space where mechanical impingement and degenerative tendon tearing most often develop, classically at the hypovascular footprint near the greater tubercle. This is the tendon tested in the Jobe (empty can) maneuver, and it is the structure surgeons inspect and repair arthroscopically through posterior and lateral portals when treating rotator cuff tears. It also clarifies how acromial morphology and AC joint osteophytes can encroach on the supraspinatus outlet. Common pain generator. Use this asset for rotator cuff teaching in gross anatomy, kinesiology, and orthopedic modules, for textbook figures on shoulder biomechanics, and for patient-facing education that explains why subacromial impingement hurts with abduction. It also fits radiology-aligned captions that compare tendon course on oblique sagittal shoulder MRI to surface anatomy and surgical landmarks. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.