Rhomboid minor muscle

Musculus rhomboideus minor

  • Related terms: Rhomboid minor

Definition

Origin: Nuchal ligaments and spinous processes of C7- to T1vertebrae

Insertion: Medial border of the scapula, superior to the insertion of rhomboid major 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 minor arises from the lower part of the ligamentum nuchae and from the spinous processes of the seventh cervical and first thoracic vertebrae. It isinserted into the base of the triangular smooth surface at the root of the spine of the scapula, and is usually separated from the Rhomboideus major by a slight interval, but the adjacent margins of the two muscles are occasionally united.

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

Translations

Translations