Posterior Perspective of the Teres Minor Muscle Beneath the Skin

Description

Posterior left shoulder anatomy is presented through the skin, with the teres minor traced as a narrow rotator cuff band along the lateral border of the scapula. From its origin on the dorsal surface of the scapula, the muscle courses superolaterally, lying inferior to the infraspinatus in the infraspinous fossa and superior to the posterior fibers of latissimus dorsi. Laterally, its tendon runs deep to the posterior deltoid to reach the inferior facet of the greater tubercle of the humerus, forming the superior boundary of the quadrangular space adjacent to the long head of triceps brachii. Fiber direction is clear. That relationship matters when you are trying to localize posterior shoulder pain or weakness in external rotation, because teres minor dysfunction can mimic infraspinatus pathology yet has different patterns in axillary nerve injury and quadrangular space syndrome. The posterior circumflex humeral artery and axillary nerve traverse the quadrangular space just inferior to the muscle, a fact that informs posterior deltoid-splitting exposures and the safe placement of arthroscopic portals. Small muscle. Big diagnostic consequences. Use this artwork in gross anatomy and kinesiology teaching to contrast teres minor versus infraspinatus actions, and in orthopaedic or sports medicine materials discussing rotator cuff tendinopathy, posterior cuff strengthening, and postoperative rehab after cuff repair. It also supports radiology and MSK ultrasound instruction by giving learners a surface-correlated map for probe positioning over the posterior shoulder and for anticipating which cuff structure lies deep to the posterior deltoid at a given level. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.