Suprascapular nerve

The **suprascapular nerve** is a **mixed sensory and motor nerve** that arises from the upper trunk of the brachial plexus, typically composed of fibers from the C5 and C6 cervical spinal nerves. Its primary functions are to provide **motor innervation** to the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles—two important rotator cuff muscles responsible for shoulder abduction and external rotation—and **sensory innervation** to the acromioclavicular and glenohumeral (shoulder) joints. The nerve travels laterally across the posterior triangle of the neck, passes through the suprascapular notch beneath the superior transverse scapular ligament, and continues into the supraspinous and then infraspinous fossa. Clinical significance includes vulnerability to compression (entrapment) at anatomical bottlenecks, resulting in shoulder pain, weakness, and muscle atrophy[1][2][3][4][5][6].