Overview
The most superficial muscle of the scapular region. It has a cervical part (pars cervicalis) and a thoracic part (pars thoracica), joined by a tendinous strip at the withers. Both converge on the spine of the scapula.
Origin
Median fibrous raphe of the neck and supraspinous ligament, from about the third cervical to the ninth thoracic vertebra.
Insertion
Spine of the scapula (spina scapulae).
Action
Elevates and abducts the thoracic limb. The cervical part draws the scapula craniodorsally, the thoracic part caudodorsally.
Innervation
Dorsal branch of the accessory nerve (n. accessorius, cranial nerve XI).