Levator scapulae
Levator scapulae
- Latin synonym: Musculus levator scapulae
- Synonym: Levator scapulae muscle
Definition
Origin: Posterior tubercles of transverse processes of C1 - C4 vertebrae
Insertion: Superior part of medial border of scapula
Artery: Dorsal scapular artery
Nerve: Cervical nerve (C3, C4) and dorsal scapular nerve (C5)
Action: Elevates scapula and tilts its glenoid cavity inferiorly by rotating scapula
Description:
The Levator scapulae. (Levator anguli scapulae) is situated at the back and side of the neck. It arises by tendinous slips from the transverse processes of the atlas and axis and from the posterior tubercles of the transverse processes of the third and fourth cervical vertebrae. It is inserted into the vertebral border of the scapula, between the medial angle and the triangular smooth surface at the root of the spine.
Variations.—The number of vertebral attachments varies; a slip may extend to the occipital or mastoid, to the Trapezius, Scalene or Serratus anterior, or to the first or second rib. The muscle may be subdivided into several distinct parts from origin to insertion.Levator claviculae from the transverse processes of one or two upper cervical vertebrae to the outer end of the clavicle corresponds to a muscle of lower animals. More or less union with the Serratus anterior.
