Abstract
Objective
To try to define an association between clinical history and the finding of isolated teres minor denervation on routine magnetic resonance (MR) examination of the shoulder.
Design
A retrospective review of all shoulder MR examinations performed at our institution over a 2-year period (n=2,563)
Patients
All patients and MR examinations demonstrating isolated denervation of the teres minor muscle as determined by review of this subset of patients (n=61)
Results
A 3% incidence of isolated teres minor denervation was found. No patient had a clinical history concerning the classic quadrilateral space syndrome, and no patient had a structural lesion in the quadrilateral space.
Conclusions
Isolated teres minor denervation is not an uncommon finding on routine shoulder MR imaging and may be associated with pathology other than a structural lesion in and about the axillary neurovascular structures, such as rotator cuff injuries and traction injury on the axillary nerve sustained during a glenohumeral joint translational event.
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Sofka, C.M., Lin, J., Feinberg, J. et al. Teres minor denervation on routine magnetic resonance imaging of the shoulder. Skeletal Radiol 33, 514–518 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-004-0809-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-004-0809-3