Which list correctly names the four muscles comprising the rotator cuff?

Which list correctly names the four muscles comprising the rotator cuff?

• A. supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis
• B. supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, teres major
• C. supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, teres minor
• D. supraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis, infraspinatus

Answer: (A)

The four muscles that form the rotator cuff are the ones that circle the shoulder joint and stabilize the head of the humerus within the glenoid fossa. Naming them in the standard order—supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis—reflects the true composition of this cuff. These muscles work together to keep the ball centered in the socket while the arm moves, with specific roles in different motions: the supraspinatus helps initiate lifting the arm, the infraspinatus and teres minor aid in external rotation, and the subscapularis assists with internal rotation. A list that includes teres major is not correct for the rotator cuff, since teres major is not one of the cuff muscles. The canonical four listed above capture the actual components of the rotator cuff, which is why this set is considered the best reference.

The four muscles that form the rotator cuff are the ones that circle the shoulder joint and stabilize the head of the humerus within the glenoid fossa. Naming them in the standard order—supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis—reflects the true composition of this cuff. These muscles work together to keep the ball centered in the socket while the arm moves, with specific roles in different motions: the supraspinatus helps initiate lifting the arm, the infraspinatus and teres minor aid in external rotation, and the subscapularis assists with internal rotation.

A list that includes teres major is not correct for the rotator cuff, since teres major is not one of the cuff muscles. The canonical four listed above capture the actual components of the rotator cuff, which is why this set is considered the best reference.