Suboccipital muscles

Suboccipital muscles
Suboccipital muscles.   Rectus capitis posterior major muscle   Rectus capitis posterior minor muscle   Obliquus capitis superior muscle   Obliquus capitis inferior muscle
Latin	Musculi suboccipitales
Gray's	p.395
Origin
Insertion
Artery
Nerve
Actions

Suboccipital muscles are a group of muscles defined by their location to the occiput. Suboccipital muscles refers to the muscles located below the occipital bone. These are four muscles on the underside of the occipital bone, the two oblique muscles and the two rectus muscles, collectively these are called the suboccipital muscles.

The muscles are named

• Rectus capitis posterior major goes from the spinous process of the axis (C2) to the occipital bone.
• Rectus capitis posterior minor goes from the middle of the posterior arch of the atlas to the occipit.
• Obliquus capitis superior goes from the transverse process of the atlas to the occiput.
• Obliquus capitis inferior goes from the spine of the axis vertebra to the transverse process of the atlas.

Many are innervated by the suboccipital nerve.

Additional images

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  Position of suboccipital muscles. Animation.

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  Close up. Seen from below.

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  Still image.

See also

• Suboccipital triangle

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