Splenius capitis muscle

Overview
The splenius capitis arises from the lower half of the ligamentum nuchæ, from the spinousial process of the seventh cervical vertebra, and from the spinous processes of the upper three or four thoracic vertebræ.

The name derives from the Greek word "spléníon," which means plaster or patch.

The fibers of the muscle are directed upward and lateralward and are inserted, under cover of the Sternocleidomastoideus, into the mastoid process of the temporal bone, and into the rough surface on the occipital bone just below the lateral third of the superior nuchal line.