MEDIVEERSETHE PRACTICAL HUB
Posterior shoulder view: deltoid covers the glenohumeral region.
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The top left panel shows the lateral view of the pectoral and back muscles. The top right panel shows the posterior view of the right deltoid and the left back muscle. The bottom left panel shows the anterior view of the deep muscles of the left shoulder, and the bottom right panel shows the deep muscles of the left shoulder.
Image: OpenStax / University of Hawaiʻi adapted teaching figures; original contributors credited at source · Source / original · CC BY 4.0 — figure credits at sourceNumbered markers and focused views are Mediveerse learning overlays; the original reference is linked above.
Deltoid
Understand what you see.
Middle fibres are major abductors of the arm, with anterior and posterior fibres contributing flexion and extension respectively.
Zoom into the original labels. Practise pointing out each structure, then explain it aloud. Diagrams are teaching references; specimen appearance and slide staining vary.
How to recognise it.
- Large triangular shoulder muscle
- Covers glenohumeral joint
- Inserts at deltoid tuberosity
Point them out.
Tap a number to open its reference, zoom in and locate the structure. Numbers stay the same across views. This key follows landmarks visible in the reference images.
Think first. Then reveal.
Say your answer aloud before opening the suggested response.
01How do you identify deltoid?+
Large triangular shoulder muscle. Covers glenohumeral joint. Inserts at deltoid tuberosity.
02Give its nerve supply.+
Axillary nerve, mainly C5–C6, accompanies the posterior circumflex humeral vessels near the surgical neck.
03Which muscle initiates abduction?+
Supraspinatus is especially important in early abduction; subsequent movement involves coordinated deltoid, cuff and scapular rotation.
04What is its main functional or developmental significance?+
Middle fibres are major abductors of the arm, with anterior and posterior fibres contributing flexion and extension respectively. Key structures to recognise: Clavicular fibres; Acromial fibres; Spinal fibres.
Read the references.
Credited anatomical plates, microscopy and university teaching references. Individual image credits appear below the viewer. Historical plates can use older terminology; use the lesson text for current names.