Rhomboid major muscle

Musculus rhomboideus major

  • Related terms: Rhomboid major

Definition

Origin: Spinous processes of the T2 to T5 vertebrae

Insertion: Medial border of the scapula, inferior to the insertion of rhomboid minor muscle

Artery: Dorsal scapular artery

Nerve: Dorsal scapular nerve (C4 andC5)

Action: Retracts the scapula and rotates it to depress the glenoid cavity. It also fixes the scapula to the thoracic wall.

Antagonist: Serratus anterior muscle

Description:
The Rhomboideus major arises by tendinous fibers from the spinous processes of the second, third, fourth, and fifth thoracic vertebrae and the supraspinal ligament, and is inserted into a narrow tendinous arch, attached above to the lower part of the triangular surface at the root of the spine of the scapula; below to the inferior angle, the arch being connected to the vertebral border by a thin membrane. When the arch extends, as it occasionally does, only a short distance, the muscular fibers are inserted directly into the scapula.

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/).

Comparative anatomy in animals

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