Encyclopedia entry

Subscapular Nerves

Published on 9 August 2026Version 1

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Abstract

The upper trunk of these nerves (upper subscapular) may arise from either the fifth or sixth cervical nerve instead of from both. The fourth cervical may also contribute. The middle (thoracodorsal) may arise solely from the fifth or seventh, or from the seventh and eighth cervical nerves. The lower subscapular nerve may arise from the fifth or sixth, or from the sixth and seventh cervical nerves. The nerve supply to the lower part of Mm. subscapularis and teres major (ordinarily from the lower subscapular) sometimes proceeds separately from the brachial plexus. The branch to m.

The upper trunk of these nerves (upper subscapular) may arise from either the fifth or sixth cervical nerve instead of from both. The fourth cervical may also contribute.

The middle (thoracodorsal) may arise solely from the fifth or seventh, or from the seventh and eighth cervical nerves.

The lower subscapular nerve may arise from the fifth or sixth, or from the sixth and seventh cervical nerves.

The nerve supply to the lower part of Mm. subscapularis and teres major (ordinarily from the lower subscapular) sometimes proceeds separately from the brachial plexus. The branch to m. teres major may also arise from the axillary (circumflex) nerve.

The lower subscapular and axillary nerves have been found to traverse m. subscapularis beneath an accessory subscapular muscle (subscapularis minor).

This arrangement is considered to be a possible nerve entrapment site.

In 50% of cases studied, the upper and lower subscapular nerves receive contributions from the fourth cervical nerve.

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Figura della scheda «Subscapular Nerves», da Anatomy Atlases — Anatomy Atlases. Image hosted by the site it comes from. Open the original page.

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Riferimenti dell’opera originale

Elenco riportato come compare nella fonte, senza normalizzazione dei formati bibliografici.

Birmingham, A. (1889) Homology and innervation of the achselbogen and pectoralis quartus, and the nature of the lateral cutaneous nerve of the thorax. J. Anat. Physiol. 23:206-223.
Henle, J. (1868) Handbuch der Systematischen Anatomy des Menschen. von Friedrich Vieweg und Sohn., Braunschweig.
Latarjet, A. (1948) Testut's Traité d'Anatomie Humaine, 9th ed., G. Doin & Cie., Paris.
Pye-Smith, P.H., Howse, H.G., and J.C.N. Davies-Colley. (1871) Notes of abnormalities observed in the dissecting room during the winter sessions of 1868-9 and 1869-1870. Guy's Hosp. Report 16:147-164.

Anatomical classification

Systems:: Nervous system

Content provenance

Adaptation

Adaptation of «Subscapular Nerves — Illustrated Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation: Opus I: Muscular System» by Ronald A. Bergman, Adel K. Afifi, Ryosuke Miyauchi. Source: https://www.anatomyatlases.org/AnatomicVariants/NervousSystem/Text/SubscapularNerves.shtml Original work distributed under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.it). Adaptation by Redazione AIVA. Changes from the original: Testo originale inglese riprodotto integralmente e riorganizzato nel formato scheda del portale (sintesi, testo, riferimenti), senza modificarne le affermazioni. La traduzione italiana non è ancora stata eseguita, e la pagina lo dichiara. Le figure non sono state copiate: sono collegate alla pagina d’origine. This publication is not approved or endorsed by the authors of the original work.

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