The transversospinales are a group of muscles of the

human back The human back, also called the dorsum, is the large posterior area of the human body, rising from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck. It is the surface of the body opposite from the chest and the abdomen. The vertebral column r ...

. Their combined action is rotation and extension of the

vertebral column The vertebral column, also known as the backbone or spine, is part of the axial skeleton. The vertebral column is the defining characteristic of a vertebrate in which the notochord (a flexible rod of uniform composition) found in all chordate ...

. These muscles are small and have a poor mechanical advantage for contributing to motion. They include: * the three

semispinalis muscles The semispinalis muscles are a group of three muscles belonging to the transversospinales. These are the semispinalis capitis, the semispinalis cervicis and the semispinalis thoracis. The semispinalis capitis (''complexus'') is situated at the u ...

, spanning 4-6 vertebral segments ** semispinalis thoracis ** semispinalis cervicis ** semispinalis capitis *

multifidus The multifidus (multifidus spinae : ''pl. multifidi'' ) muscle consists of a number of fleshy and tendinous fasciculi, which fill up the groove on either side of the spinous processes of the vertebrae, from the sacrum to the axis. While very th ...

, spanning 2-4 vertebral segments * rotatores, spanning 1-2 vertebral segments ** rotatores cervicis ** rotatores thoracis ** rotatores lumborum

External links

* Musculoskeletal Interventions: Techniques for Therapeutic exercise. Authors: Michael L. Voight, Barabara J. Hoogenboom, William E. Prentice. Muscles of the torso {{muscle-stub