Rhomboid minor muscle

Rhomboid minor
Muscles connecting the upper extremity to the vertebral column. (Rhomboideus minor visible at upper center right, near shoulder.)
Latin	musculus rhomboideus minor
Gray's	subject #121 434
Origin	nuchal ligaments and spinous processes of C7 to T1 vertebrae
Insertion	medial border of the scapula, superior to the insertion of rhomboid major muscle
Artery	dorsal scapular artery
Nerve	dorsal scapular nerve (C4 and C5)
Actions	Retracts the scapula and rotates it to depress the glenoid cavity. It also fixes the scapula to the thoracic wall.
Antagonist	Serratus anterior muscle

The Rhomboideus minor arises from the lower part of the ligamentum nuchæ and from the spinous processes of the seventh cervical and first thoracic vertebræ.

It is inserted into the vertebral border (aka the medial border) near the point that it meets the spine of the scapula. It is usually separated from the Rhomboideus major by a slight interval, but the adjacent margins of the two muscles are occasionally united. The Rhomboideus minor is superior to the Rhomboideus major.

Additional images

Left scapula. Dorsal surface.

The scapular and circumflex arteries.

External links

• LUC rhmn
• 194641998 at GPnotebook
• SUNY Labs 01:st-0211
• rhomboid+minor+muscle at eMedicine Dictionary

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 As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated.