Transversospinales

Transversospinales
Section of the neck at about the level of the sixth cervical vertebra. Showing the arrangement of the fascia coli.
The transversospinalis set of muscles; right side, posterolateral view. C1, First cervical vertebra — 2, D1, First thoracic vertebra — L1, First lumbar vertebra. (After Testut's Anatomy.)
Details
Origin	Transverse process
Insertion	Spinous process
Nerve	Posterior ramus of spinal nerve
Actions	Extend vertebral column (bilateral contraction); rotate vertebral column (unilateral contraction)
Identifiers
Latin	musculi transversospinales
TA98	A04.3.02.201
TA2	2275
FMA	71304
Anatomical terms of muscle

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 three semispinalis muscles, the multifidus muscle, and the rotatores spinae muscles.

The three semispinalis muscles, span 4-6 vertebral segments:

• • semispinalis thoracis
  • semispinalis cervicis
  • semispinalis capitis

The multifidus muscle, and spans 2-4 vertebral segments

The rotatores muscles, lie beneath the multifidus, and spans 1-2 vertebral segments

• • rotatores cervicis
  • rotatores thoracis
  • rotatores lumborum