The intertransversarii are small

muscle Muscle is a soft tissue, one of the four basic types of animal tissue. There are three types of muscle tissue in vertebrates: skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and smooth muscle. Muscle tissue gives skeletal muscles the ability to muscle contra ...

s placed between the transverse processes of the

vertebrae Each vertebra (: vertebrae) is an irregular bone with a complex structure composed of bone and some hyaline cartilage, that make up the vertebral column or spine, of vertebrates. The proportions of the vertebrae differ according to their spinal ...

Structure

Cervical

In the cervical region they are best developed, consisting of rounded muscular and tendinous fasciculi, and are placed in pairs, passing between the anterior and the posterior tubercles respectively of the transverse processes of two contiguous vertebrae, and separated from one another by an anterior primary division of the cervical nerve, which lies in the groove between them. * The muscles connecting the anterior tubercles are termed the ''anterior intertransversarii''. * Those between the posterior tubercles are termed the ''posterior intertransversarii''. Both sets are supplied by the anterior rami of the spinal nerves. There are seven pairs of these muscles, the first pair being between the

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and axis, and the last pair between the seventh cervical and first thoracic vertebræ.

Thoracic

In the thoracic region they are present between the transverse processes of the lower three thoracic vertebrae, and between the transverse processes of the last thoracic and the first

lumbar In tetrapod anatomy, lumbar is an adjective that means of or pertaining to the abdominal segment of the torso, between the diaphragm (anatomy), diaphragm and the sacrum. Naming and location The lumbar region is sometimes referred to as the lowe ...

. These are called the '' thoracic intertransversarii'' and are supplied by the posterior rami of the spinal nerves.

Lumbar

In the lumbar region they are arranged in pairs, on either side of the vertebral column, * one set occupying the entire interspace between the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae, are the ''lateral lumbar intertransversarii''. * the other set, the ''medial lumbar intertransversarii'', passing from the accessory process of one vertebra to the mammillary of the vertebra below. The intertransversarii laterales are supplied by the anterior rami, and the intertransversarii mediales by the posterior rami of the spinal nerves.

Function

They contribute little to no movement on their own, but they stabilize adjoining vertebrae allowing more effective action from other muscle groups.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Intertransversarii Muscle Muscles of the torso