Which muscle is not considered part of the rotator cuff?

Which muscle is not considered part of the rotator cuff?

• A. Infraspinatus
• B. Subscapularis
• C. Supraspinatus
• D. Teres Major

Answer: (D)

The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that encircle the shoulder to stabilize the head of the humerus in the glenoid during movement. Those four muscles are supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. The muscle that is not part of this cuff is Teres Major. It sits below the rotator cuff muscles and attaches to the intertubercular groove of the humerus, primarily enabling adduction and medial rotation of the arm rather than contributing to the cuff’s stabilizing mechanism around the joint. So, while Teres Major helps move the arm, it doesn’t belong to the rotator cuff.

The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that encircle the shoulder to stabilize the head of the humerus in the glenoid during movement. Those four muscles are supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. The muscle that is not part of this cuff is Teres Major. It sits below the rotator cuff muscles and attaches to the intertubercular groove of the humerus, primarily enabling adduction and medial rotation of the arm rather than contributing to the cuff’s stabilizing mechanism around the joint. So, while Teres Major helps move the arm, it doesn’t belong to the rotator cuff.