Surgical neck of the humerus

Surgical neck of the humerus
Left humerus. Anterior view. (Surgical neck labeled at upper left.)
Details
Identifiers
Latin	collum chirurgicum humeri
Dorlands /Elsevier	c_46/12249468
TA	A02.4.04.004
FMA	23359
Anatomical terminology []

The surgical neck of the humerus is a constriction below the tubercles of the greater tubercle and lesser tubercle, and above the Deltoid Tuberosity.

It is much more frequently fractured than the anatomical neck of the humerus. A fracture in this area is most likely to cause damage to the axillary nerve and posterior circumflex humeral artery. Damage to the axillary nerve affects function of the teres minor and deltoid muscles, resulting in loss of abduction of arm (from 15-90 degrees), weak flexion, extension, and rotation of shoulder as well as loss of sensation of the skin over a small part of the lateral shoulder.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)