Exam 1 - Back Muscles Flashcards
Rotatores (brevis and longus) - origin
Transverse process of vertebrae at all levels

Obliquus capitis inferior - nerve
suboccipitial nerve
Rectus capitis posterior minor - nerve
Suboccipital nerve or dorsal ramus of cervical spinal nerve (C1)
Semispinalis capitis - insertion
attaches to occipital bone
Splenuis capitis - action
Solo - extends, rotates, and laterally flexes head to same side
Together - extends head and neck
Anatomical orientation:
lateral
further away from the midline
Semispinalis cervics - nerve
medial branches of posterior rami of lower cervical and upper thoracic nerves
spinalis -action
extends and laterally flexes trunk
Anatomical orientation:
Medial
nearer the midline/ median plane of the body
Intermediate Back muscles
Serratus posterior superior and inferior
Longissimus capitis - origin
Transverse process T1-T5

Serratus posterior inferior - action
depresses ribs
Spinalis capitis - origin
Spinous process C7
Splenius cervicis - insertion
Transverse processes C1-C2
Terms of Movement:
Lateral rotation
external rotation
Semispinalis capitis - insertion
area between superior and inferior nuchal lines of occip. bone
Obliquus capitis superior - nerve
suboccipital nerve
Minor deep layers of back muscles
Interspinales, Intertransversarii, Levatores costarum
Iliocostalis cervicis - insertion
Transverse process C4-C6
Superficial intrinsic back muscles
Splenius capitis and cervicis
longissimus - action
extends and laterally flexes trunk
Rectus capitis posterior major -nerve
Suboccipital nerve or dorsal ramus of cervical spinal nerve (C1)
Rhomboid minor - action
elevates medial border of scapula upward and medially
Rhomboid minor - nerve
Dorsal scapular nerve (C4-C5)
Rectus capitis posterior minor - insertion
Medial portion of the inferior nuchal line of the occipital bone
Levator Scapula - insertion
Superior angle of scap
medial border of scap superior to spine
Anatomical Descriptors:
Sagittal Plane
vertical planes passing through body parallel to median plane; not symmetrical
Semispinalis cervicis - origin
Transverse process T1-T6

Rhomboid minor - origin
Spinous processes C7-T1
Nuchal ligament
Semispinalis cervics - arterial supply
occipital artery
deep cervical artery (DCA)
vertebral artery (VA)
dorsal branches of upper posterior intercostal arteries
Quadratus lumborum - insertion
inferior border of 12th rib
Rotatores - insertion
base of spinous process and adjacent laminae
Longissimus capitis - insertion
mastoid process
Latissimus dorsi - origin
Iliac crest
thoracolumbar fascia
Spinous processes T7-T12
Ribs 9-12
Levator Scapula - origin
Transverse processes C1-C4
Rhomboid minor - arterial supply
Dorsal scap artery (DSA)
Superior Trap - Insertion
lateral 1/3 of clavicle
acrominon
Semispinalis capitis - nerve
greater occipital nerve (C2)
C3 nerve
Latissimus dorsi - arterial supply
Thoracodorsal artery
Middle trap - insertion
medial border of acrominon
spine of scap
Anatomical orientation:
Posterior/ dorsal
Toward the back of the body
Serratus posterior inferior - nerve
ventral rami of 9-12 thoracic nerves
Terms of Movement:
Circumduction
circular movement that involves sequential flexion, abduction, extension, and adduction so that distal end moves in a circle
Anatomical orientation:
Palmar surface
surface of the hands and fingers corresponding to the palm
Iliocostalis lumborum - insertion
Ribs 7-12
Sub Occipitial Muscles
Rectus capitis posterior major
Rectus capitis posterior minor
Obliquus capitis superior
Obliquus capitis inferior

Splenuis capitis - arterial supply
descending branch of occipital artery
Deep cervical artery (DCA)
Latissimus dorsi - nerve
thoracodorsal nerve (C6-C8)
Rhomboid major - action
pull scap medially and upward
Transversospinales muscles
Semispinales (superficial)
Multifidus
Rotatores (deep)

iliocostalis thoracis - insertion
angles of ribs 1-6

Multifidus - origin
back surface of sacrum
posterior superior iliac spine
mammillary processes of lumbar vertebrae
transverse processes of thoracic vertebrae
articular process of cervical vertebrae

Levator Scapula - arterial supply
Transverse cervial artery (TCA)
Ascending cervical artery (ACA)
Vertebral artery (VA)
Semispinalis - action
extends head, neck, thoracic region and rotates them contralaterally
Rectus capitis posterior minor - origin
Tubercle on the posterior arch of the atlas (C1)
iliocostalis - nerve
lateral branches of posterior rami of thoracic nerves
Levatores costarum - action
elevate ribs assist in respiration
assist in lateral flexion of vertebral column
Serratus posterior inferior - origin
Spinous processes T11-L2
Multifidus - nerve
posterior rami of spinal nerves
Rectus capitis posterior major - origin
Spinous process C2
Serratus posterior superior - insertion
external surfaces of ribs 2-5
Splenuis capitis - nerve
posterior rami of cervical nerves 2-3
Rectus capitis posterior major - arterial supply
Vertebral artery (VA) Descending branch of occip. artery
Inferior trap - origin
Spinous processes T6-T12
Latissimus dorsi - insertion
intertubercular groove of humerus
Levatores costarum - insertion
Attaches to ribs immediately below
Anatomical Descriptors:
Transverse sections
cross sections or slices of body, cut perpendicular to longitudinal sections
Terms of Movement:
Opposition
movement by which pad of first digit (thumb) is brought to another digit pad
Anatomical orientation:
External
Outside of or farther from center of body
Spinalis cervicis - origin
Spinous processes of C7-T2
Ligamentum nuchae

Serratus posterior inferior - arterial supply
dorsal branches of lower posterior intercostal arteries
Rhomboid major - origin
Spinous processes T2-T5
Erector spinae - origin
Spinous processes L1-L5
Sacrum
Posterior aspect of iliac crest
Semispinalis cervicis - insertion
spinous processes C2-C5
Obliquus capitis superior - insertion
Between the superior and inferior nuchal lines of the occipital bone
Splenius cervicis - arterial supply
descending branch of occipital artery
deep cervical artery (DCA)
Semispinalis cervicis - insertion
spinous process C2-C5
Interspinales - action
extension and rotation of vertebral column
Rectus capitis posterior minor - arterial supply
Vertebral artery (VA) Descending branch of occip. artery
Terms of Movement:
Reposition
movement of 1st digit (thumb) from opposition back to anatmoical position
Anatomical orientation:
inferior/ caudal
toward the foot
Inferior trap - insertion
tubercle of spine of scap
Anatomical orientation:
Anterior/ ventral (or rostral when talking about brain)
toward the front surface of the body
Anatomical orientation:
Plantar Surface
surface of foot and toes corresponding to the sole
Serratus posterior inferior - insertion
external surfaces of ribs 9-12
Rhomboid major - insertion
medial border of scap inferior to spine
Splenius cervicis - origin
Spinous processes T3-T6

Spinalis cervicis - insertion
Spinous processes of C2-C4
Erector spinae muscles
Iliocostalis (lateral)
Longissimus
Spinalis (medial)

Levatores costarum - origin
tips of transverse processes C7-T11
Trapezius - Arterial supply
transverse cervical artery (TCA)
Semispinalis thoracics - insertion
spinous process T1-T4 and C6-C7
Rotatores - action
stabilize vertebrae and assist with local extension and rotary movements of vertebral column
- proprioceptive
Interspinales - nerve
posterior rami of spinal nerves
Obliquus capitis inferior - action
Ipsilateral rotation of the atlantoaxial joint
Splenius cervicis - nerve
posterior rami of lower cervical nerves
Intermediate intrinsic back muscles
Erector spinae
Levator Scapula - Action
elevates scapula
Rhomboid minor - insertion
Scap adjacent to spine
Intertransversarii - nerve
posterior and anterior rami of spinal nerves
iliocostalis - action
extends and laterally flexes trunk
Anatomical orientation:
Superolateral
Nearer to the head and farther from midline
Splenius cervicis - action
Solo - extends, rotates, and laterally flexes neck to same side
Together - extends head and neck
iliocostalis thoracis - arterial supply
dorsal branches of posterior intercostal and subcostal arteries
Semispinalis thoracics- origin
Transverse process T6-T10/12
Middle trap - action
(origin fixed) adduct scap
Serratus posterior superior - origin
nuchal ligament
Spinous processes C7-T3
Middle trap - origin
spinous processes T1-T5
Semispinalis capitis - origin
C4-T7

longissimus thoracis - arterial supply
dorsal branches of posterior intercostal and lumbar arteries
lateral sacral arteries
Obliquus capitis superior - action
Bilaterally: extend head;
unilaterally: laterally flex head to the same side as the muscle.
Intertransversarii - action
lateral flexion of vertebral column
act bilaterally to stabilize vertebral column
spinalis thoracis - arterial supply
dorsal branches of posterior intercostal, subcostal, upper lumbar arteries
Inferior trap - action
(origin fixed) depress scap
Longissimus cervicis - origin
Transverse process T1-T5

Terms of Movement:
protrusion
movement anteriorly/ forward, as in protruding the mandible
Splenuis capitis - insertion
mastoid process
lateral 1/3 superior nuchal line
Obliquus capitis inferior - insertion
inferior aspect of the tip of the transverse process of the atlas
Anatomical orientation:
Dorsum
superior aspect of any part that protrudes anteriorly from the body (example: dorsum of tongue, nose, foot)
Anatomical Descriptors:
Frontal (coronal) plane
vertical planes passing through body at right angles to median and sagittal planes; divides body into anterior and posterior
Rhomboid major - arterial supply
Dorsal scap artery (DSA)
Superior Trap - Origin
extrernal occipital protuberence
superior nuchal line
ligamentum nuchae
spinous process C7
Terms of Movement:
Retrusion
movement posteriorly/ backward, as in retruding the lips or tongue
Serratus posterior superior - arterial supply
dorsal branches of upper posterior intercostal arteries
Iliocostalis cervicis - origin
Ribs 3-6
Anatomical Descriptors:
Transverse planes
horizontal planes passing through body at right angles to median and frontal planes; divides bodies into superior and inferior
Longissimus cervicis - insertion
Transverse process C2-C6
longissimus thoracis - insertion
transverse processes of lumbar and thoracic vertebrae
Ribs 2-12
Rectus capitis posterior minor - action
extension of the head
Rectus capitis posterior major - action
Ipsilateral rotation of the atlantoaxial joint
Splenuis capitis - origin
nuchal ligament
spinous processes C7-T3

Levator Scapula - nerve
ventral rami of C3-C4 nerves
Dorsal scapular nerve (C5)
Terms of Movement:
Medial rotation
Internal rotation
Anatomical orientation:
Dorsal surface
surface of hands, feet, and digits corresponding to dorsum
Multifidus - action
stabilize vertebrae during local movements of vertebral column
Anatomical Descriptors:
Oblique sections
slices of the body cut in any other plane than transverse or longitudinal
Semispinalis - nerve
posterior rami of spinal nerves
Rectus capitis posterior major - insertion
lateral part of inferior nuchal line of occip. bone
Obliquus capitis inferior - origin
Base of spinous process and adjoining lamina of the axis
Semispinalis cervics - action
extends and rotates neck
Anatomical orientation:
Inferomedial
Nearer to the feet and median plane
Semispinalis capitis - action
extends and rotates head
longissimus - nerve
lateral branches of posterior rami of thoracic and lumbar nerves
Multifidus - insertion
Spinous process of each vertebrae in spinal column, except C1
Rotatores - nerve
Posterior rami of spinal nerves
Superficial Back Muscles
Trapezius, Latissimus dorsi, Levator scapulae, Rhomboid major and minor

Latissimus dorsi - action
Adducts, medially rotates, and extends humerus
Anatomical orientation:
internal
inside or closer to the center
Rhomboid major - nerve
Dorsal scapular nerve (C4-C5)
Interspinales - insertion
superior spinous processes
Levatores costarum - nerve
posterior rami of C8-T11 spinal nerves
Iliocostalis Lumborum - origin
medial and lateral sacral crests
medial iliac crest
Anatomical orientation:
superior/ cranial
toward the head
Serratus posterior superior - nerve
ventral rami of thoracic nerves 2-5
Semispinalis cervicis - origin
transverse processes T1-T6

Serratus posterior superior - action
elevates ribs, respiratory muscle
Superior Trap - Action
origin fixed - stabilizes, elevates, retracts, and rotates scap
(insertion fixed) laterally flex and rotate head and neck
Intertransversarii - origin
between each transverse process C2/3 - L4/5

Anatomical Descriptors:
Median Plane
Vertical anteroposterior plane; divides body into right and left
Proprioception
noun:
perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body.
“exercises to improve balance and proprioception”
Obliquus capitis superior - origin
Superior surface of the transverse process of the atlas (C1)
Interspinales - origin
Between each spinous process at each level C2-L5
Major deep layers of back muscles
Transversospinalis, semispinalis, Multifidus, Rotatores
Intertransversarii - insertion
transverse process superiorly adjacent from origin
spinalis - nerve
posterior rami of thoracic and upper lumbar nerves
Spinalis thoracics - insertion
spinous processes T2-T8
Anatomical Descriptors:
Longitudinal sections
run lengthwise or parallel to long axis of body
Semispinalis capitis - origin
superior articular processes of C4-C7
transverse processes of T1-T6
Trapezius - Nerve
accessory nerve (C11)
Nerves C3-C4
Semispinalis capitis - arterial supply
occipital artery
deep cervical artery (DCA)
vertebral artery (VA)
dorsal branches of upper posterior intercostal arteries