The semispinalis muscles are a group of three

muscle Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are Organ (biology), organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other ...

s belonging to the

transversospinales The transversospinales are a group of muscles of the human back. Their combined action is rotation and extension of the vertebral column. These muscles are small and have a poor mechanical advantage for contributing to motion. They include: * the ...

. These are the semispinalis capitis, the semispinalis cervicis and the semispinalis thoracis. The semispinalis capitis (''complexus'') is situated at the upper and back part of the

neck The neck is the part of the body on many vertebrates that connects the head with the torso. The neck supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that carry sensory and motor information from the brain down to the rest of the body. In ...

, deep to the

splenius The splenius muscles are: *Splenius capitis muscle *Splenius cervicis muscle Their origins are in the upper thoracic and lower cervical spinous process The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates, Hagfish ar ...

, and medial to the

longissimus cervicis The longissimus ( la, the longest one) is the muscle lateral to the semispinalis muscles. It is the longest subdivision of the erector spinae muscles that extends forward into the transverse processes of the posterior cervical vertebrae. Structur ...

and

longissimus capitis The longissimus ( la, the longest one) is the muscle lateral to the semispinalis muscles. It is the longest subdivision of the erector spinae muscles that extends forward into the transverse processes of the posterior cervical vertebrae. Structu ...

. It arises by a series of tendons from the tips of the

transverse processes 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 ...

of the upper six or seven

thoracic The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the crea ...

and the seventh

cervical vertebrae In tetrapods, cervical vertebrae (singular: vertebra) are the vertebrae of the neck, immediately below the skull. Truncal vertebrae (divided into thoracic and lumbar vertebrae in mammals) lie caudal (toward the tail) of cervical vertebrae. In ...

, and from the articular processes of the three cervical vertebrae above this ( C4-C6). The tendons, uniting, form a broad muscle, which passes upward, and is inserted between the superior and inferior

nuchal lines The nuchal lines are four curved lines on the external surface of the occipital bone: * The upper, often faintly marked, is named the highest nuchal line, but is sometimes referred to as the Mempin line or linea suprema, and it attaches to the epi ...

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 c ...

. It lies deep to the

trapezius The trapezius is a large paired trapezoid-shaped surface muscle that extends longitudinally from the occipital bone to the lower thoracic vertebrae of the spine and laterally to the spine of the scapula. It moves the scapula and supports ...

muscle and can be palpated as a firm round muscle mass just lateral to the cervical spinous processes. The semispinalis cervicis (or ''semispinalis colli''), arises by a series of tendinous and fleshy fibers from the transverse processes of the upper five or six

thoracic vertebrae In vertebrates, thoracic vertebrae compose the middle segment of the vertebral column, between the cervical vertebrae and the lumbar vertebrae. In humans, there are twelve thoracic vertebrae and they are intermediate in size between the cervical ...

, and is inserted into the cervical

spinous processes 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 ...

, from the axis to the fifth

inclusive. The semispinalis cervicis is thicker than the semispinalis thoracis. The fasciculus connected with the

axis An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to: Mathematics * Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis * Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...

is the largest, and is chiefly muscular in structure. The semispinalis thoracis (or ''semispinalis dorsi'') muscle consists of thin, narrow, fleshy

fasciculi Fascicle or ''fasciculus'' may refer to: Anatomy and histology * Muscle fascicle, a bundle of skeletal muscle fibers * Nerve fascicle, a bundle of axons (nerve fibers) ** Superior longitudinal fasciculus *** Arcuate fasciculus ** Gracile fasc ...

, interposed between

tendon A tendon or sinew is a tough, high-tensile-strength band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It is able to transmit the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system without sacrificing its ability ...

s of considerable length. It arises by a series of small tendons from the

of the sixth to the tenth

, and is inserted, by tendons, into the

of the upper four thoracic and lower two

. The semispinalis muscles are innervated by the dorsal rami of the

cervical spinal nerves A spinal nerve is a mixed nerve, which carries motor, sensory, and autonomic signals between the spinal cord and the body. In the human body there are 31 pairs of spinal nerves, one on each side of the vertebral column. These are grouped into the ...

Additional images

Image:Gray129.png,

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 c ...

. Outer surface. Image:Gray187.png,

Base of skull The base of skull, also known as the cranial base or the cranial floor, is the most inferior area of the skull. It is composed of the endocranium and the lower parts of the calvaria. Structure Structures found at the base of the skull are for ...

. Inferior surface. File:Slide1ccc.JPG, Semispinalis capitis muscle File:Gray384.png, Section showing cervicis and fascia

References

External links

* * * * *
Image at ithaca.edu
* * {{Authority control Muscles of the torso

See also

Additional images

References

External links