scalene muscle

Scalene muscles
The anterior vertebral muscles.
Section of the neck at about the level of the sixth cervical vertebra. Showing the arrangement of the fascia coli.
Origin	cervical vertebrae (CII-CVII)
Insertion	first and second ribs
Artery	Ascending cervical artery (branch of Inferior thyroid artery)
Nerve	cervical nerves (C3-C8)
Actions	elevation of ribs I&II

The scalene muscles are a group of three pairs of muscles in the lateral neck, namely the scalenus anterior, scalenus medius, and scalenus posterior.

They are innervated by the spinal nerves C3-C8.

Origin and insertion

They originate from the transverse processes from the cervical vertebrae of CII to CVII and insert onto the first and second ribs. Thus they are called the lateral vertebral muscles.^[1]

Function

The action of the anterior and middle scalene muscles is to elevate the first rib and rotate the neck to the same side;^[2] the action of the posterior scalene is to elevate the second rib and tilt the neck to the same side.

They also act as accessory muscles of inspiration, along with the sternocleidomastoids.

Relations

The scalene muscles have an important relationship to other structures in the neck. The brachial plexus and subclavian artery pass between the anterior and middle scalenes. The subclavian vein and phrenic nerve pass anteriorly to the anterior scalene as it crosses over the first rib.

The passing of the brachial plexus and the subclavian artery through the space of the anterior and middle scalene muscles constitute the scalene hiatus (the term "scalene fissure" is also used). The region in which this lies is referred to as the scaleotracheal fossa. It is bound by the clavicle inferior anteriorly, the trachea medially, posteriorly by the trapezius, and anteriorly by the platysma muscle.

References

See also

• Muscles
• List of muscles of the human body
• Accessory muscles of respiration

Additional images

Musculi coli base

The origin of the scalenes is 1st and 2nd ribs The insertion is the transverse processes of c2-c7.