Obliquus capitis inferior muscle

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Obliquus capitis inferior muscle
lateral mass of atlas
Nervesuboccipital nerve
ActionsRotation of head and neck
Identifiers
Latinmusculus obliquus capitis inferior
TA98A04.2.02.007
TA22252
FMA32528
Anatomical terms of muscle]

The obliquus capitis inferior muscle (

transverse process of the atlas. It is innervated by the suboccipital nerve (the posterior ramus of first cervical spinal nerve
). The muscle rotates the head to its side.

Despite what its name suggest, it is the only capitis (Latin: "head") muscle that does not actually attach to the skull.

Anatomy

The obliquus capitis inferior is one of the suboccipital muscles (and the only one of these to have no attachment to the skull).[1] It is larger than the obliquus capitis superior muscle. It forms the inferolateral boundary of the suboccipital triangle.[2]

The muscle extends laterally and somewhat superiorly from its inferior attachment to its superior attachment.[2]

Attachments

its inferior attachment is at the lateral

lamina of the axis.[2]

Its superior attachment is at (the inferoposterior aspect of

transverse process of the atlas (cervical vertebra C1).[2][3]

Innervation

The muscle receives motor innervation from the suboccipital nerve (the posterior ramus of cervical spinal nerve C1).[3][2]

Relations

It lies deep to the

semispinalis capitis and trapezius muscles.[citation needed
]

Actions/movements

The muscle acts to rotate the atlas[3] (and thus[3] the head) ipsilaterally.[3][2] It acts together with the rectus capitis posterior major muscle.[2]

Function

The muscle is responsible for rotation of the head and first

cervical vertebra (atlanto-axial joint).[3]

The obliquus capitis inferior muscle, like the other suboccipital muscles, has an important role in proprioception. This muscle has a very high density of Golgi organs and muscle spindles which accounts for this.[4] It is believed that proprioception may be the primary role of the inferior oblique (and indeed the other suboccipital muscles), allowing accurate positioning of the head on the neck.[citation needed]

Additional Images

  • Position of obliquus capitis inferior muscle (shown in red).
    Position of obliquus capitis inferior muscle (shown in red).
  • Close up. Vertebral column, occipital bone and obliquus capitis inferior muscle. The muscle arises from the apex of the spinous process of the axis and insert into the lower and back part of the transverse process of the atlas.
    Close up.
    transverse process of the atlas
    .
  • Obliquus capitis inferior's relationship to other suboccipital muscles.
    Obliquus capitis inferior's relationship to other suboccipital muscles.

References

  1. ISBN 978-1496347213
    .
  2. ^
    OCLC 1201341621.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-0-7295-3752-0
    .
  4. PMID 11799407
    .

Public domain This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 402 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Obliquus capitis inferior muscles.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Obliquus_capitis_inferior_muscle&oldid=1214887493"