Suprascapular nerve

Nerve: Suprascapular nerve
The suprascapular, axillary, and radial nerves. (Suprascapular labeled at upper left.)
The right brachial plexus with its short branches, viewed from in front. (Suprascapular labeled at upper left.)
Latin	nervus suprascapularis
Gray's	subject #210 932
Innervates	supraspinatus, infraspinatus
From	C5–C6 of brachial plexus

The suprascapular nerve arises from the upper trunk (formed by the union of the fifth and sixth cervical nerves). It innervates the supraspinatus muscles and infraspinatus muscles.

It runs lateralward beneath the Trapezius and the Omohyoideus, and enters the supraspinatous fossa through the suprascapular notch, below the superior transverse scapular ligament; it then passes beneath the Supraspinatus, and curves around the lateral border of the spine of the scapula to the infraspinatous fossa.

In the supraspinatous fossa it gives off two branches to the Supraspinatus muscle, and an articular filament to the shoulder-joint; and in the infraspinatous fossa it gives off two branches to the Infraspinatous muscle, besides some filaments to the shoulder-joint and scapula.

Disorders

• Suprascapular paralysis is a common condition in veterinary medicine.

Hard to start shoulder abduction

Additional images

• 

  Suprascapular and axillary nerves of right side, seen from behind.

• 

  Brachial plexus with courses of spinal nerves shown

External links

• Duke Orthopedics suprascapular_nerve
• Diagram at physsportsmed.com
• Suprascapular+nerve at eMedicine Dictionary
• SUNY Figs 05:03-02 - "The major subdivisions and terminal nerves of the brachial plexus."

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.