Quick Facts
Origin: Vertebral bodies of T12-L1 vertebrae and adjacent intervertebral disc.
Insertion: Iliopectineal eminence and pecten pubis of hip bone.
Action: Assists in flexion of trunk.
Innervation: Anterior ramus of first lumbar nerve.
Arterial Supply: Lumbar arteries.
Origin
The psoas minor muscle arises from the anterolateral aspects of the vertebral bodies of the twelfth thoracic and first lumbar vertebrae, and the intervertebral disc located between them.
Insertion
The fibers of the psoas minor muscle travel anteroinferiorly and insert, via a long tendon, onto the iliopectineal eminence and pecten pubis of the hip bone.
Key Features & Anatomical Relations
The psoas minor muscle is found along the posterior abdominal wall. It is a long, thin, fusiform type of skeletal muscle that is absent in some individuals.
It is located:
- anterior to the psoas major muscle;
- posterior to the ureter;
- medial to the kidney;
- lateral to the lumbar vertebrae.
In some individuals, the psoas minor muscle may be absent (Tubbs, Shoja and Loukas, 2016).
Actions
The psoas minor muscle assists in flexion of the trunk (Standring, 2016).
List of Clinical Correlates
- Psoas sign
References
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series 41st edn.: Elsevier Limited.
Tubbs, R. S., Shoja, M. M. and Loukas, M. (2016) Bergman's Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation. Wiley.
Actions
The psoas minor muscle assists in flexion of the trunk (Standring, 2016).
Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products
Psoas Minor Muscle
The psoas minor muscle, which originates from the caudal thoracic and lumbar regions and attaches to the brim of the pelvis, has a high proportion of type I muscle fibers that provide stabilization to the lumbopelvic region and contribute to proprioception.
