Scalenus posterior muscle
Musculus scalenus posterior
- Latin synonym: Musculus scalenus dorsalis
- Synonym: Posterior scalene muscle
- Related terms: Scalenus posterior; Posterior scalene
Definition
Origin: Transverse processes of C4 - C6
Insertion: 2nd rib
Artery: Ascending cervical artery, superficial cervical artery
Nerve: C6, C7, C8
Action: Elevate 2nd rib, tilt the neck to the same side
Description:
The Scalenus posterior (Scalenus posticus), the smallest and most deeply seated of the three Scaleni, arises, by two or three separate tendons, from the posterior tubercles of the transverse processes of the lower two or three cervical vertebrae, and is inserted by a thin tendon into the outer surface of the second rib, behind the attachment of the Serratus anterior. It is occasionally blended with the Scalenus medius.
References
This definition incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy (20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, published in 1918 – from http://www.bartleby.com/107/).
