Also called: teres minor muscle
The teres minor is a small rotator cuff muscle on the back of the shoulder. It arises from the upper two thirds of the lateral border of the scapula and inserts on the inferior facet of the greater tubercle of the humerus. The axillary nerve supplies it, and it laterally rotates the arm and stabilises the shoulder.
| Origin | Upper two thirds of the dorsal surface of the lateral border of the scapula. |
|---|---|
| Insertion | Inferior facet of the greater tubercle of the humerus. |
| Innervation | Axillary nerve (C5-C6). |
| Blood supply | Circumflex scapular artery and posterior circumflex humeral artery. |
| Action | Laterally rotates the arm; weakly adducts; holds the humeral head in the glenoid cavity. |
3D model: BodyParts3D (CC BY 4.0), adult male reference anatomy. Highlighted structure shown with nearby bones for context.
The teres minor forms the upper boundary of the quadrangular space (with subscapularis and the surgical neck of the humerus) through which the axillary nerve and posterior circumflex humeral vessels pass.
It lies just above the teres major and is separated from it by the long head of the triceps.
Yes. With supraspinatus, infraspinatus and subscapularis, it forms the rotator cuff.
The axillary nerve.
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