Erector spinae
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| Erector spinæ | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| The relations of the kidneys from behind. (Sacrospinalis visible at bottom left.) | ||
 | ||
| Deep muscles of the back. (Sacrospinalis visible at bottom right.) | ||
| Latin | m. erector spinæ | |
| Gray's | subject #115 397 | |
| Origin: | on the spines of the last four thoracic vertebræ | |
| Insertion: | both the spines of the most cranial thoracic vertebrae and the cervical vertebrae | |
| Artery: | lateral sacral artery | |
| Nerve: | posterior branch of spinal nerve | |
| Action: | extends the vertebral column | |
| Antagonist: | Rectus abdominis muscle | |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | m_22/12550616 | |
The Erector spinæ (or Sacrospinalis in older texts), a bundle of muscles and tendons, and its prolongations in the thoracic and cervical regions, lie in the groove on the side of the vertebral column.
They are covered in the lumbar and thoracic regions by the lumbodorsal fascia, and in the cervical region by the nuchal fascia.
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 which, on being followed upward, is subdivided into three columns; these gradually diminish in size as they ascend to be inserted into the vertebræ and ribs.
The erector spinae arises from the anterior surface of a broad and thick tendon, which is attached to the medial crest of the sacrum, to the spinous processes of the lumbar and the eleventh and twelfth thoracic vertebræ, and the supraspinal 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 Glutæus maximus.
The muscular fibers form a large fleshy mass which splits, in the upper lumbar region into three columns, viz., a lateral, the Iliocostalis, an intermediate, the Longissimus, and a medial, the Spinalis.
Each of these consists from below upward, of three parts, as follows:
| Lateral Column | Intermediate Column | Medial Column |
| Iliocostalis | Longissimus | Spinalis |
| I. lumborum | L. dorsi | S. dorsi |
| I. dorsi | L. cervicis | S. cervicis |
| I. cervicis | L. capitis | S. capitis |
A useful mnemonic for remembering the erector spinae muscles is "I Love Sex" (lateral to medial).
Additional images
 Right hip bone. Internal surface. |
 Diagram of a transverse section of the posterior abdominal wall, to show the disposition of the lumbodorsal fascia. |
 The posterior divisions of the sacral nerves. |
 Transverse section, showing the relations of the capsule of the kidney. |
 Surface anatomy of the back. |
The Back by David Shankbone.jpg
Photograph of the surface of a human back. |
 Lumbar triangle |
External links
- -596967347 at GPnotebook
- SUNY Figs 01:05-03 - "Intermediate layer of the extrinsic muscles of the back, deep muscles."
- erector+spinae+muscles at eMedicine Dictionary
- ithaca.edu
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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.
de:Musculus erector spinae
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
