Deltoid muscle

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(Redirected from Delt)

Deltoid muscle is a large triangular muscle covering the shoulder joint.

The deltoid muscle
The deltoid muscle

Anatomy[edit | edit source]

  • The deltoid muscle arises from the anterior border and upper surface of the lateral third of the clavicle
  • The deltoid is inserted into the deltoid prominence on the middle of the lateral side of the body of the humerus.
  • At its insertion the muscle gives off an expansion to the deep fascia of the arm.
  • The deltoid muscle is remarkably coarse in texture
  • Variations—Large variations uncommon.
Deltoid muscle
Deltoid muscle

Function[edit | edit source]

The deltoid muscle helps abduct, flex, extend and rotate the arm.

Deltoid
Deltoid

Blood supply[edit | edit source]

The deltoid is supplied by the following three arteries:

  • thoracoacromial artery (acromial and deltoid branches)
  • the circumflex humeral arteries, and
  • the profunda brachii artery (deltoid branch).

Nerve supply[edit | edit source]

The deltoid muscle is innervated by the axillary nerve

Common problems associated with deltoid muscle[edit | edit source]

The most common abnormalities affecting the deltoid muscle are tears, fatty atrophy, and enthesopathy.

IM injections[edit | edit source]

Most intramuscular injections in the upper arm are given in to the deltoid muscle in an inverted triangular area in the upper portion of the arm.

  1. Find the bony prominence at the top of the arm called acromion process.
  2. The top border of an inverted triangle is two finger widths down from the acromion process.
  3. Stretch the skin and then hold or fell the muscle.
  4. Insert the needle at a right angle(90 degrees) to the skin in the center of the inverted triangle

Etiology of name[edit | edit source]

The name deltoid refers to the shape of the Greek letter Delta

Other names[edit | edit source]

Deltoideus




Deltoid muscle Resources
Wikipedia
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD