Rhomboid minor muscle

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Rhomboid minor
Muscles connecting the upper extremity to the vertebral column. (Rhomboideus minor visible at upper center right, near shoulder.)
Latin musculus rhomboideus minor
Gray's subject #121 434
Origin nuchal ligaments and spinous processes of C7 to T1 vertebrae
Insertion    medial border of the scapula, superior to the insertion of rhomboid major muscle
Artery: dorsal scapular artery
Nerve: dorsal scapular nerve (C4 and C5)
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
Dorlands
/Elsevier
m_22/12550544

The Rhomboideus minor arises from the lower part of the ligamentum nuchæ and from the spinous processes of the seventh cervical and first thoracic vertebræ.

It is inserted into the vertebral border (aka the medial border) near the point that it meets the spine of the scapula. It is usually separated from the Rhomboideus major by a slight interval, but the adjacent margins of the two muscles are occasionally united. The Rhomboideus minor is superior to the Rhomboideus major.

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This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.