The rectus capitis anterior (rectus capitis anticus minor) is a short, flat muscle, situated immediately behind the upper part of the
Longus capitis
The longus capitis muscle (Latin for ''long muscle of the head'', alternatively rectus capitis anticus major), is broad and thick above, narrow below, and arises by four tendinous slips, from the anterior tubercles of the transverse processes of th ...
.
It arises from the anterior surface of the
lateral mass of the
atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth.
Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geogra ...
, and from the root of its
transverse process
The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates, Hagfish are believed to have secondarily lost their spinal column is a moderately flexible series of vertebrae (singular vertebra), each constituting a characteristic ...
, and passing obliquely upward and medialward, is inserted into the inferior surface of the
basilar part of the
occipital bone
The occipital bone () is a cranial dermal bone and the main bone of the occiput (back and lower part of the skull). It is trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself like a shallow dish. The occipital bone overlies the occipital lobes of the cer ...
immediately in front of the
foramen magnum
The foramen magnum ( la, great hole) is a large, oval-shaped opening in the occipital bone of the skull. It is one of the several oval or circular openings (foramina) in the base of the skull. The spinal cord, an extension of the medulla oblon ...
.
action: aids in flexion of the head and the neck;
nerve supply: C1, C2.
Additional images
File:Rectus capitis anterior muscle - animation01.gif, Animation. Position of rectus capitis anterior muscle. Some bones around the muscle are shown in semi-transparent.
File:Rectus capitis anterior muscle - animation02.gif, Skull has been removed (except for occipital bone
The occipital bone () is a cranial dermal bone and the main bone of the occiput (back and lower part of the skull). It is trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself like a shallow dish. The occipital bone overlies the occipital lobes of the cer ...
)
File:Rectus capitis anterior muscle01.png, Lateral view. Still image.
File:Gray129.png, Occipital bone. Outer surface.
File:Gray187.png, Base of skull. Inferior surface.
References
External links
PTCentral
Muscles of the head and neck
{{muscle-stub