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Rotatores cervicis
Other Terms:
Rotatores cervicis,
Musculi rotatores cervicis,
Musculi rotatores colli,
Muscle rotateurs du cou
Muscle parts
None
Latin name
Musculi rotatores cervicis
Latin muscle parts
None
Group
Epaxial muscle – Transversospinales – Rotatores
Etymology
The English name of this muscle is the muscle that turns (the vertebra) around in the neck. Rotatores comes from the Latin verb rotatare meaning “to rotate,” which in turn comes from the Latin rota meaning “wheel.”The word cervicis comes from the Latin cervix meaning “neck.”
Origin
Posterior surface of articular process of cervical vertebra
Insertion
Posterior surface of the lamina of a superjacent cervical vertebra
Action
Possibly weakly assist with extension of the cervical vertebrae. They are most likely proprioceptive transducers that monitor the position and movements of the vertebral column and provide feedback that influences the activity of the larger multisegmental muscles of the vertebral column.
Nerve supply
Dorsal rami of cervical spinal nerves (C3 to C8)
Blood supply
The muscle receives a blood supply from muscular branches of the vertebral artery via the subclavian and also from muscular branches of the occipital artery via the external carotid artery.
Latin
Musculi rotatores cervicis
Latin
Musculi rotatores colli
French
Muscle rotateurs du cou