The teres minor inserts at which site on the humerus?

• A. Greater tubercle of the humerus
• B. Lesser tubercle
• C. Intertubercular groove
• D. Deltoid tuberosity

Answer: (A)

Teres minor attaches to the greater tubercle of the humerus, specifically the inferior facet. This placement fits its role as a rotator cuff muscle that externally rotates the arm and helps stabilize the shoulder joint. The greater tubercle is the common insertion site for the rotator cuff tendons: supraspinatus sits on the superior facet, infraspinatus on the middle facet, and teres minor on the inferior facet, all anchoring the humeral head during movement. The lesser tubercle, by contrast, is the insertion for subscapularis, which internally rotates the arm. The intertubercular groove houses the tendon of the long head of biceps, not teres minor, and the deltoid tuberosity is where the deltoid inserts. So the correct insertion site for teres minor is the greater tubercle of the humerus.