Teres Minor, Gross Anatomy

Description

Posterior shoulder anatomy is rendered on the right side of an adult female torso, with the teres minor highlighted against the surrounding rotator cuff and scapulothoracic musculature. The teres minor occupies the superior part of the lateral border of the scapula, running obliquely lateral and slightly superior toward the greater tubercle of the humerus, where it lies posterior to the deltoid and inferior to the infraspinatus. Along its medial margin, fibers relate closely to the long head of triceps brachii as it descends from the infraglenoid tubercle, and the muscle’s posterior surface sits superficial to the posterior joint capsule. Clear bony landmarks include the scapular spine and acromion, with the proximal humerus positioned lateral to the glenoid. Small muscle, big consequences. Clinically, this view helps separate teres minor from infraspinatus, a distinction that matters when correlating physical exam findings with imaging or intraoperative appearance. Weakness of external rotation with the arm in abduction points more toward teres minor dysfunction, a pattern seen with axillary nerve involvement in quadrilateral space syndrome, where the nerve and posterior circumflex humeral artery course adjacent to the surgical neck of the humerus. The muscle’s insertion on the inferior facet of the greater tubercle also clarifies why posterior shoulder pain from rotator cuff tendinopathy may localize near the posterolateral humeral head rather than along the scapular spine. Orthopedic and sports medicine texts commonly need this posterior perspective to teach rotator cuff anatomy, posterior shoulder approaches, and the spatial boundaries of the quadrilateral and triangular spaces. It also suits gross anatomy lab manuals and exam-prep diagrams that require clean identification of scapular landmarks and cuff insertions without distracting anterior structures. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.