Trunk
Rui Diogo, Drew M. Noden, Christopher M. Smith, Julia Molnar, Julia C. Boughner, Claudia Barrocas, Joana Bruno in Understanding Human Anatomy and Pathology, 2018
The suboccipital muscles are innervated by dorsal rami and lie deep to the back muscles named the splenius capitis and semispinalis capitis (Plate 3.31a). They include, among others, the obliquus capitis inferior muscle (spinous processes of C2 to transverse processes of C1), the obliquus capitis superior muscle (transverse processes of C1 to occipital bone), and the rectus capitis posterior major muscle (spinous processes of C2 to occipital bone), which form the boundaries of the suboccipital triangle. Medial to these is the rectus capitis posterior minor, which extends from the posterior tubercle of the atlas to the occipital bone. These muscles extend and laterally bend the head at the atlanto-occipital joints, and rotate the head at the atlanto-axial joints. In the suboccipital triangle lie the vertebral artery and the suboccipital nerve (unique among dorsal primary rami in that it has no cutaneous distribution).
The Gallbladder (GB)
Narda G. Robinson in Interactive Medical Acupuncture Anatomy, 2016
Obliquus capitis superior muscle: The obliquus capitis superior muscle, along with its counterpart, the obliquus capitis inferior muscle, as well as the rectus capitis posterior major and minor muscles, are important in posture, and may function as kinesiological monitors, or organs of proprioception, for head position. The obliquus capitis superior muscle extends and laterally bends the atlanto-occipital joint.
Head and Neck Muscles
Eve K. Boyle, Vondel S. E. Mahon, Rui Diogo in Handbook of Muscle Variations and Anomalies in Humans, 2022
On the right side of one male neonate with trisomy 13, obliquus capitis inferior sent an accessory slip to semispinalis cervicis (Pettersen et al. 1979). On the left side, obliquus capitis inferior had an extra belly. In an individual with atlas assimilation, the left obliquus capitis inferior muscle was thinner than the right muscle (Ciołkowski et al. 2014).
Musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging and clinical reasoning in the management of a patient with cervicogenic headache: a case report
Published in Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 2021
Muscle energy techniques focusing on contracting the left obliquus capitis inferior muscle to possibly have a de-rotation effect on atlas within the AA joint (Sillevis and Wyss, 2015). The patient was supine with the head in a slight extension and some left rotation with the patient looking left while the remainder of the neck remained in the midline. In this position, a 6-s light resistance was applied to the left temple to facilitate a contraction of the left obliquus capitis inferior muscle. This was followed by a 6 sresistance to the right temple to facilitate a similar left rotation of atlas by contraction of the right rectus capitis anterior muscle. This alternating sequence was repeated 6 times and palpation of the sub-occipital region was performed to ensure that contraction in the sub-occipital region was achieved. After this the head was placed in more extension and left rotation and the above-described sequence was repeated (Sillevis and Wyss, 2015). Figure 6 identifies the position of atlas after this intervention. The SC2TC1 left changed from 6.42 cm to 5.84 cm confirmed with ultrasound imaging, therefore indicating a more symmetrical positioning of atlas. Although this represents a 9% change in length, it has to be noted that there are no previous reports on the standard error of measurement using MSK US imaging. There is no information available in the literature to identify if this change in measure meets the minimal clinical important difference when using MSK US imaging for facet motion assessment.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Vertebra
- Suboccipital Muscles
- Axis
- Atlas
- Suboccipital Nerve
- Dorsal Ramus of Spinal Nerve
- Cervical Spinal Nerve 1
- Obliquus Capitis Superior Muscle
- Suboccipital Triangle
- Rectus Capitis Posterior Major Muscle