Inferior subscapular nerve
Nervus subscapularis inferior
Definition
The inferior subscapular nerve is a branch of the posterior cord of brachial plexus. It has a relatively longer course compared to the superior subscapular nerve and descends along the posterior axillary wall. It ends up innervating not just the lower part of subscapularis muscle, but also providing neuronal branches to the teres major muscle.
The long course of the inferior subscapular nerve places it at risk of injury during procedures such as shoulder arthroplasty, where-in the inferior subscapular nerve could undergo traction as well as torsion, in an attempt to expose the glenoid.
References
Drake, R.L., Vogl, A.W. and Mitchell, A.W.M. (2009). ‘Chapter 7: Upper Limb’ in Gray’s anatomy for Students. (2nd ed.) Philadelphia PA 19103-2899: Elsevier, pp. 708.
Sager, B., Gates, S., Collett, G., Chhabra, A. and Khazzam, M. (2019). Innervation of the subscapularis: an anatomic study. JSES Open Access, 3(2), pp.65-69.
Tubbs RS, Loukas M, Shahid K, Judge T, Pinyard J, Shoja MM, Slappey JB, McEvoy WC, Oakes WJ. Anatomy and quantitation of the subscapular nerves. Clin Anat. 2007 Aug;20(6):656-9.
Okwumabua E, Black AC, Thompson JH. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Nerves. [Updated 2023 Jul 30]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526056/