Teres Minor

Teres Minor is one of the four rotator cuff muscles surrounding the shoulder. Its main action, along with Infraspinatus is to externally rotate the shoulder joint. There are two Teres muscles, the other being Teres Major.

Anatomy of the Teres Minor

The teres minor muscles are innervated by the axillary nerve and supplied by the posterior circumflex humeral artery and the circumflex scapular artery.

The teres minor arises from the dorsal surface of the axillary border of the scapula for the upper two-thirds of its extent, and from two aponeurotic laminæ, one of which separates it from the Infraspinatus, the other from the Teres major.

The teres minor fibers run obliquely upward and lateral ward; the upper ones end in a tendon which is inserted into the lowest of the three impressions on the greater tubercle of the humerus; the lowest fibers are inserted directly into the humerus immediately below this impression.

Functions of the Teres Minor

Together with the Infraspinatus, the teres minor rotate the head of the humerus outward; they also assist in carrying the arm backward.

You will use the teres minor muscle when brushing your hair every day.

Some of the best exercises to strengthen the teres minor muscle include Lateral raises, shoulder external rotation and the internal rotation stretch.

One of the more common injuries to the teres minor is the Rotator cuff injury.

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