Presented by

OM PRAKASH YADAV
 The suprascapular nerve is the only branch of
the upper trunk (C5 and C6) of the brachial
plexus.
 It supplies
the supraspinatus and infraspinatus
muscles as well as acromioclavicular
and glenohumeral joints.
 Motor innervation
 Supraspinatus muscle
 Infraspinatus muscle (through the spinoglenoid
notch)
 Sensory innervation
 Acromioclavicular joint
 Glenohumeral joint
 In the supraspinous fossa it gives off two
branches to the supraspinatus muscle and in
the infraspinous fossa it gives off two branches
to the infraspinatus muscle.
 The suprascapular nerve may get
entrapped or compressed at various
sites.

 The nerve may get entrapped within

the suprascapular notch or the spinoglenoid
notch.
 The cause of this may be paralabral ganglion
cyst pressing on the nerve or thickening or
ossification of transverse scapular ligament.
 If the supraspinatus is affected
then abduction at the shoulder joint may be
affected especially initiation of
the abduction. Abduction is the movement
that raises arms up from your sides as in
overhead clapping.

 If the infraspinatus is affected then external

rotation may be affected a movement which
is done as in grabbing seatbelt from side
while you sit on the seat
 Upper brachial plexus injury as in Erb’s
palsy may result in damage to this nerve
supply too.
 The dorsal scapular nerve arises from the
brachial plexus, usually from the plexus root
(anterior/ventral ramus) of the
cervical nerve C5.
 The dorsal scapular nerve (C5) supplies the
levator scapulae and rhomboid muscles; it
aids in elevation and adduction of the scapula
toward the spinal column. A nerve lesion
leads to lateral displacement of the vertebral
border of the scapula and to rhomboid
atrophy (difficult to detect)
 An isolated nerve injury can be seen in
bodybuilders and in people who require heavy
overhead lifting, because the dorsal scapular
nerve may become entrapped within the scalenus
medius muscle
 Patients with dorsal scapular nerve entrapment
mainly complain of pain over the medial border
of the scapula. Patients may also experience
interscapular pain, shoulder and arm pain,
weakness of arm abduction, and/or winged
scapula. They may complain of sharp, stabbing,
burning, or knife-like medial scapular pain,
lateral arm and forearm pain.