A Review of the Shoulder

Muscles and Their Actions

Questions
• What muscle works closely with the anterior deltoid?
• Pectoralis major
• What muscle is involved in any lifting movements?
• Deltoid
• What is the major (strongest) extensor muscle?
• Latissimus Dorsi
• Name the four rotator cuff muscles.
• Subscapularis, Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, and Teres
minor.
• What muscle works closely with the infraspinatus?
• Teres minor
Practice
• Name the muscles • Name the muscles
for Horizontal for Horizontal
Adduction Abduction
• Pect Major (both) • Deltoid (post)
• Corachobrachialis • Infraspinatus
• Deltoid (anterior) • Teres minor
• Lats
Practice
• List the muscles that • List the muscles that
do flexion of the do extension of the
shoulder shoulder
• Coracobrachialis • Latissimus dorsi
• Pectoralis major • Teres major
(upper to 60°) • Posterior deltoid
• Anterior Deltoid • Pectoralis major
(lower fibers to
neutral)
Practice
• List the muscles that List the muscles that do
do adduction of the abduction of the
shoulder shoulder
• Pectoralis major • Deltoid (all sections)
(lower and upper • Supraspinatus
below 90°) • Pectoralis major
• Coracobrachialis (upper past 90°)
• Latissimus dorsi
• Teres major
Practice
• List the muscles that • List the muscles that
do internal rotation do external rotation
of the shoulder of the shoulder
• Subscapularis • Infraspinatus
• Latissimus dorsi • Teres minor
• Teres major • Posterior deltoid
• Anterior deltoid
• Pect. major
Name the muscle.

Coracobrachialis

Name the action

Adduction of
the shoulder

Also, flexion
and hor. add.
Name the muscle.

Pectoralis Major
Name the muscle.
Subscapularis

Name the action

Internal
rotation of the
shoulder
Name the muscle.
Deltoid

Name the action

Abduction of
shoulder
Name the muscle.

Infraspinatus

Name the action

External
rotation
Name the muscle. Name the action

Teres Major Adduction of

scapula
Name the muscle.

Teres Minor

Name the action if the humerus move directly to the posterior

Extension of the shoulder
Name the muscle.

Supraspinatus

Name the action

Abduction of the shoulder
Coracobrachialis Pect. Major

Subscapularis
Deltoid
Supraspinatus Teres Major

Infraspinatus
Teres Minor
What position are her shoulders in?

Flexion
What position is his right shoulder in?

Horizontal Abduction and

External Rotation
What rotation action is his shoulder performing as he
continues to through the ball?

Internal Rotation
What position are her shoulders in?

Flexion
What position are his shoulders in?

Horizontal abduction or Extension

 Position of their shoulders?
2.
1.
Extension
Flexion
What is the position of shoulders?

Extension
Shoulder Muscle Exercises
Major Muscles of the Shoulder
• Pectoralis major • Latissimus dorsi
– Push-ups – Chinning
– Pull-ups – Robe climb
– Bench press – Dips on parallel bars
– Throwing – Pullover exercises
– Tennis serve – Pulldown exercises
– Rowing
 Shoulder action = ? Deltoid
Abduction
Shoulder muscle(s) = ? Supraspinatus
 Shoulder action = ?
Shoulder muscle(s) = ?

Flexion

Ant Deltoid
Upper Pect Major
Coracobrach.
 Shoulder action = ? Ant. Deltoid
Shoulder muscle(s) = ? Horizontal Add. Pect. Major (both)
Coracobrachialis
 Shoulder action = ?
Horizontal Abduction
Shoulder muscle(s) = ?

Latissimus Dorsi
Post. Deltoid
Teres Minor
Infraspinatus
 Shoulder action = ?
Shoulder muscle(s) = ?

Adduction

Pect. Major (both)

Coracobrachialis
Latissimus Dorsi
Teres Major
 Shoulder action = ?
Horizontal Add
Shoulder muscle(s) = ?

Ant. Deltoid
Pect. Major (both)
Coracobrachialis
 Shoulder action = ?
Shoulder muscle(s) = ?

Extension Lats Teres Major

Post. Deltoid Pectoralis Major (lower)
Infraspinatus Teres minor
 Shoulder action = ? External Rotation
Shoulder muscle(s) = ? Infrspinatus
Teres Minor
Post. Deltoid
Name a shoulder muscle isolated
with the following exercises.
• Side arm dumbbell raises
• Deltoid
• Push-ups
• Pectoralis major
• Rowing and pull-overs
• Latissimus dorsi
What is the action to the left? What
muscles perform that action?
External Rotation
Internal Rotation

Internal Rotation

Subscapularis, Ant. Deltoid, Pect, Major, Lats. And Teres Major

Rotator Cuff Exercises
External Rotation

Internal Rotation

External Rotation

Abduction (to work the supraspinatus)

Shoulder Related Injuries
• The shoulder is built
for motion, not stability
• Injury rate depends
on…
– Shallowness of glenoid
fossa
– Laxity of ligaments
– Strength of muscles
• Shoulder subluxation
– Incomplete or partial dislocation
• Shoulder dislocation
– Complete dislocation of the GH joint
– Most common anteriorly and inferiorly

• Shoulder separation
– Complete dislocation of the AC joint
Shoulder Dislocation
Impingement Syndrome
Impingement Syndrome
• A condition that decreases
the subacromial space
– Acromion process
– Coracoacromial ligament
• Causes
– Swelling
– Bone spurs
– Anatomical structure
Impingement Syndrome
Rotator Cuff Tears
Rotator cuff
• Subscapularis
• Supraspinatus
• Infraspinatus
• Teres minor
Movement of RC Muscles
• Subscapularis is an
internal rotator of the arm.
• Supraspinatus assists the
deltoid in abducting the
arm, with its greatest
contribution being the
initiation of abduction.
• Infraspinatus and teres
minor muscles both
externally rotate the arm.
Rotator Cuff Injury
• The throwing motion has been divided
into five phases: wind-up, cocking,
acceleration, and follow-through.
• Cocking phase
– Subscapularis fires in late cocking phase
to decelerate the shoulder's external
rotation. Also, it is stretched during the
cocking phase.
Rotator Cuff Injury
• Follow-through (muscles fire most
intensely)
– Subscapularis internally rotates the shoulder,
– The infraspinatus and teres minor contract
eccentrically to decelerate the arm and are
stretched.
• During this repetitive eccentric loading, the
rotator cuff is prone to overload, fatigue,
tendinitis, and even a partial undersurface
tear.
Note: Surgery needs
to be performed
within 3 months or
the supraspinatus
muscle will atrophy
and be too short to
reattach
Glenoid Labrum
Labral Tear

• The glenoid cavity makes up the “socket” of the shoulder

joint.
• The labrum acts sort of like a gasket, turning the flat
surface of the glenoid into a deeper socket that molds to
the head of the humerus for a better fit.
• A tear of labrum can cause pain and a catching
sensation with movement of the shoulder.
Labral Tear

• Most labral tears are probably the result of an injury to the

shoulder, such as falling on an outstretched hand.
• There is reason to believe that the excess motion of the
humerus moving around on the glenoid may cause
damage to the labrum over time.
• An unstable shoulder may also cause injury to the labrum,
if it repeatedly dislocates out of the glenoid.