Portion of the erector spinae
The
spinalis
is a portion of the
erector spinae
, a bundle of
muscles
and
tendons
, located nearest to the spine. It is divided into three parts: Spinalis dorsi, spinalis cervicis, and spinalis capitis.
Spinalis dorsi
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Spinalis dorsi, the medial continuation of the
sacrospinalis
, is scarcely separable as a distinct muscle. It is situated at the medial side of the
longissimus dorsi
, and is intimately blended with it; it arises by three or four tendons from the
spinous processes
of the first two
lumbar
and the last two
thoracic vertebrae
: these, uniting, form a small muscle which is inserted by separate tendons into the spinous processes of the upper thoracic vertebrae, the number varying from four to eight.
It is intimately united with the
semispinalis dorsi
, situated beneath it.
Spinalis cervicis
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Spinalis cervicis, or spinalis colli, is an inconstant muscle, which arises from the lower part of the
nuchal ligament
, the
spinous process
of the seventh cervical, and sometimes from the spinous processes of the first and
second thoracic vertebrae
, and is inserted into the spinous process of the
axis
, and occasionally into the spinous processes of the two cervical vertebrae below it.
Spinalis capitis
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Spinalis capitis (biventer cervicis) is usually inseparably connected with the
semispinalis capitis
.
Spinalis capitis is not well characterized in modern anatomy textbooks and atlases, and is often
omitted from anatomical illustration. However, it can be identified as fibers that extend from the spinous processes of TV1 and CV7 to the cranium, often blending with semispinalis capitis
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See also
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References
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This article incorporates text in the
public domain
from
page 399
of the 20th edition of
Gray's Anatomy
(1918)
External links
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