Erector spinae muscles

Erector spinae

The erector spinae muscle group
Details
Origin Spinous processes of T9-T12 thoracic vertebrae, medial slope of the dorsal segment of illiac crest
Insertion spinous processes of T1 and T2 thoracic vertebrae and the cervical vertebrae
Artery lateral sacral artery
Nerve posterior branch of spinal nerve
Actions extends the vertebral column
Antagonist rectus abdominis muscle
Identifiers
Latin Musculus erector spinae
Dorlands
/Elsevier
m_22/12550616
TA A04.3.02.002
FMA 71302

Anatomical terms of muscle

The erector spinae (/ˌɪˈrɛktər ˈspni/ i-REK-tər SPY-nee)[1] or spinal erectors is a set of muscles that straighten and rotate the back.

Structure

The erector spinae is not just one muscle, but a bundle of muscles and tendons. It is paired and runs more or less vertically. It extends throughout the lumbar, thoracic and cervical regions, and lies in the groove to the side of the vertebral column. The erector spinae is covered in the lumbar and thoracic regions by the thoracolumbar fascia, and in the cervical region by the nuchal ligament.

This large muscular and tendinous mass varies in size and structure at different parts of the vertebral column. In the sacral region, it is narrow and pointed, and at its origin chiefly tendinous in structure. In the lumbar region, it is larger, and forms a thick fleshy mass. Further up, it is subdivided into three columns. They gradually diminish in size as they ascend to be inserted into the vertebrae and ribs.

The erector spinae arises from the anterior surface of a broad and thick tendon. It is attached to the medial crest of the sacrum, to the spinous processes of the lumbar and the eleventh and twelfth thoracic vertebrae and the supraspinous ligament, to the back part of the inner lip of the iliac crests, and to the lateral crests of the sacrum, where it blends with the sacrotuberous and posterior sacroiliac ligaments.

Some of its fibers are continuous with the fibers of origin of the gluteus maximus.

The muscular fibers form a large fleshy mass that splits, in the upper lumbar region, into three columns, viz., a lateral (Iliocostalis), an intermediate (Longissimus), and a medial (Spinalis). Each of these consists of three parts, inferior to superior, as follows:

Iliocostalis

The iliocostalis originates from the sacrum, erector spinae aponeurosis and iliac crest. The iliocostalis has three different insertions according to the parts:

Longissimus

The longissimus muscle is the intermediate and the largest of the three columns, it has three parts with different origin and insertion:

Spinalis

The spinalis muscle is the most medial and the smallest column. It has three parts:

Insertion Lateral Column
Iliocostalis
Intermediate Column
Longissimus
Medial Column
Spinalis
Lower thoracic vertebrae and ribs I. lumborum
Upper thoracic vertebrae and ribs I. thoracis L. thoracis S. thoracis
Cervical vertebrae I. cervicis L. cervicis S. cervicis
Skull L. capitis S. capitis

From lateral to medial, the erector spinae muscles can be remembered using the mnemonic, I Love Spine. I lliocostalis, Love Longissimus and Spine Spinalis.[2]

Training

Examples of exercises by which the erector spinae can be strengthened for therapeutic or athletic purposes include, but are not limited to:

Additional images

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

  1. "How to pronounce spinae in English". Cambridge University Press 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  2. "Medical mnemonic". LifeHugger. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
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