Longissimus
| Longissimus | |
|---|---|
Deep muscles of the back – longissimus capitis visible at top right, longisimus cervicis visible at center upper right, and longissimus dorsi visible at center right | |
| Details | |
| Origin | Transverse process |
| Insertion | Transverse process |
| Artery | Lateral sacral artery |
| Nerve | Posterior branch of spinal nerve |
| Actions | Laterally: Flex the head and neck to the same side. Bilaterally: Extend the vertebral column. |
| Antagonist | Rectus abdominis muscle |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | musculus longissimus |
| TA98 | A04.3.02.010 |
| TA2 | 2262 |
| FMA | 77178 |
| Anatomical terms of muscle | |
The longissimus (Latin: the longest one) is the muscle lateral to the semispinalis muscles. It is the longest subdivision of the erector spinae muscles that extends forward into the transverse processes of the posterior cervical vertebrae.