Quick Facts
Origin: Posterior cord of the brachial plexus.
Course: Runs inferiorly along the posterior wall of the axilla.
Branches: No named branches.
Supply: Motor innervation. Supplies the teres major and subscapularis muscles.
Origin
The inferior subscapular nerve originates from the posterior cord of the brachial plexus. It contains fibers from spinal cord segments C5 and C6.
Course
The inferior subscapular nerve emerges from the posterior cord posterior to the second segment of the axillary artery.
It runs inferiorly, along the posterior wall of the axilla until branching at its target muscles.
Branches
Along its course, the inferior subscapular nerve does not branch. It ends by sending unnamed terminal branches to both the teres major and subscapularis muscles.
Supplied Structures
The inferior subscapular nerve is a motor nerve. It supplies two muscles in the posterior axillary region, the teres major and subscapularis muscles.
Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products
Lower Subscapular Nerve
The LSN is often described as the most distal branch arising directly from the posterior cord.
