Teres minor origin and insertion

Teres minor runs from the scapula to the humerus.

What are the origin and insertion of teres minor?

Teres minor arises from the upper two-thirds of the scapula’s lateral border, behind. It inserts on the lowest facet of the greater tubercle. Its main action is lateral rotation at the shoulder. It is supplied by the axillary nerve (C5, C6). The attachments, actions and nerve follow Gray (1918).

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Every attachment and its bone

Origin 1

Origin of teres minor, with the bone each is on
Attachment	Bone
Upper two-thirds of the scapula’s lateral border, behind	Scapula

Insertion 1

Insertion of teres minor, with the bone each is on
Attachment	Bone
Lowest facet of the greater tubercle	Humerus

Actions

The actions of teres minor, and which are its main ones
Action	What moves	Main or assisting
Lateral rotation	With the elbow bent, the forearm swings out	Main action

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

Innervation

The axillary nerve (C5, C6).

Lifts that use teres minor

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.

Synergist in 1

Lifts in which teres minor is a synergist, with what it does there
Lift	What it does there
Bent-over barbell row	Turning the upper arm outward as it comes back

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

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.