Overview
It has a cervical and a thoracic part; classic feline anatomy texts call the cervical part levator scapulae and the thoracic part serratus magnus. It is the main component of the thoracic limb synsarcosis: the cat's clavicle does not articulate with the sternum or the scapula, so it does not brace the shoulder, and the trunk hangs between the two scapulae, held by these muscles.
Origin
- Cervical part: transverse processes of the last five cervical vertebrae.
- Thoracic part: first ribs, by digitations.
Insertion
Serrated face (facies serrata), on the dorsal part of the medial surface of the scapula.
Action
Supports the trunk and moves the scapula. The cervical part draws the dorsal angle of the scapula cranially and the thoracic part caudally. With the limb fixed, the thoracic part assists inspiration.
Innervation
Ventral branches of the cervical nerves (cervical part) and long thoracic nerve (n. thoracicus longus) for the thoracic part.