1. 1  a suffix, equivalent in meaning to -ic, occurring in adjectives of Greek origin (analytic), used especially in the formation of adjectives from nouns with stems in -sis: hematotic; neurotic. Origin of -tic. Greek.
The supraspinatus muscle is one of the musculotendinous support structures called the rotator cuff that surround and enclose the shoulder. It helps to resist the inferior gravitational forces placed across the shoulder joint due to the downward pull from the weight of the upper limb.
The rotator cuff consists of four muscles -- supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis -- that originate on your shoulder blade and attach to your upper arm bone. Together, these muscles keep the ball of your upper arm bone in the socket as you move your shoulder. The supraspinatus lifts your arm out to the side. The infraspinatus and teres minor muscles rotate your arm outward, and the subscapularis muscle rotates your arm inward.