Rectus Posterior Major Capitis Muscle
Musculus rectus posterior major capitis
Read moreQuick Facts
Origin: Spinous process of axis (C2).
Insertion: Inferior nuchal line of occipital bone.
Action: Rotates and extends head.
Innervation: Suboccipital nerve (posterior ramus of first cervical nerve).
Arterial Supply: Vertebral artery and descending branch of occipital artery.
Origin
The rectus capitis posterior major muscle arises from the spine of axis (second cervical vertebra).
Insertion
The rectus capitis posterior major muscle inserts into the lateral aspect of the inferior nuchal line of the occipital bone.
Actions
The rectus capitis posterior major muscle is involved in multiple actions:
- during unilateral contraction, it rotates the head to the same side at the atlantoaxial joints;
- during bilateral contraction, it extends the head at the atlantooccipital joints (Standring, 2016).
References
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series 41st edn.: Elsevier Limited.
