Supraspinatus origin and insertion

Supraspinatus runs from the scapula to the humerus.

What are the origin and insertion of supraspinatus?

Supraspinatus arises from the supraspinous fossa. It inserts on the highest facet of the greater tubercle. Its main action is shoulder abduction. It is supplied by the suprascapular nerve (C5, C6). The attachments, actions and nerve follow Gray (1918).

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Every attachment and its bone

Origin 1

Origin of supraspinatus, with the bone each is on
Attachment	Bone
Supraspinous fossa	Scapula

Insertion 1

Insertion of supraspinatus, with the bone each is on
Attachment	Bone
Highest facet of the greater tubercle	Humerus

Actions

The actions of supraspinatus, and which are its main ones
Action	What moves	Main or assisting
Shoulder abduction	The arm lifts out to the side	Main action

Each action is stated in the anatomical position: standing, arms by the sides, palms forward.

Innervation

The suprascapular nerve (C5, C6).

Lifts that use supraspinatus

A prime mover produces the lift’s main joint action against the load; a synergist assists that action, or adds a secondary action the lift needs. Each role is the one the lift’s own page gives, for the technique that page states.

Prime mover in 1

Lifts in which supraspinatus is a prime mover, with what it does there
Lift	What it does there
Dumbbell lateral raise	Shoulder abduction, with the deltoid from the start Often said to start the movement, but it switches on together with the deltoid, the trapezius and serratus anterior, not before them (Reed et al. 2013).

It is also a stabilizer in the flat bench press, incline bench press, push-up, parallel-bar dip and standing overhead press.

Sources

Gray (1918), Myology, the muscles and fasciae of the shoulder

Each lift role is from that lift’s page in muscles worked by exercise, which names the sources it follows.

See it in 3D

Visualiser · Biology Muscle Origin, Insertion and Action Explorer Paint a muscle’s origin and insertion on real 3D bones, or click a bone to see what attaches to it. Visualiser · Biology Upper Limb Muscles Explorer 114 upper limb muscle meshes, by compartment. Visualiser · Biology Muscles Worked by Exercise 3D Explorer Choose a lift and a real body lights its prime movers, synergists and stabilisers, front and back, with the same muscles in 3D.