Splenius muscle
| Splenius muscle |
|---|
|
| Back muscles of man |
| origin |
| Neck band , spinous processes of the cervical and thoracic vertebrae |
| approach |
| Transverse processes , occiput , linea nuchae superior |
| function |
| Stretching the neck, lifting the head |
| Innervation |
| Rami dorsales of the spinal nerves of the neck |
| Spinal segments |
| C3, C4 |
The splenius muscle ( Latin for "belt muscle") is a skeletal muscle that belongs to the superficial muscles of the neck. It belongs to the so-called spinotransversal system ( Systema spinotransversale ) and is largely covered by the sternocleidomastoid muscle . It is divided into two muscle groups: Musculus splenius capitis (strap muscle of the head) and Musculus splenius cervicis (strap muscle of the neck, absent in predators ). The splenius capitis muscle is particularly well developed in males. It forms the basis of the so-called "stallion neck" or "bull neck".
The muscle fibers originate with tendons on the neck ligament and on the spinous processes of the 6th thoracic vertebra to the 4th cervical vertebra and attach to the transverse processes of vertebrae located further towards the head. The end portion of the splenius capitis muscle ends at the occiput ( squama occipitalis ).
With bilateral contraction, the muscle stretches the neck and raises the head. With one-sided contraction, he tilts and turns his head to the corresponding side.
literature
- Wayne Vogl, Adam WM Mitchell: Anatomy for Students . Elsevier, Urban & Fischer-Verlag, 2007, ISBN 978-3-437-41231-8 , p. 956.
- Franz-Viktor Salomon: muscle tissue. In: Anatomy for veterinary medicine. 2nd ext. Edition. Enke, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-8304-1075-1 , pp. 147-234.