Skip to content
EasyAnatomyLab
Menu

Scalenus anterior: anatomy, location and function

A deep neck muscle and an important landmark in the root of the neck. Elevates the first rib in inspiration and bends the neck to the same side when the rib is fixed.

Loading 3D model…
Skin0%
Muscles100%

Structures

Loading… Click the model or search.

Highlighted in the model: Scalenus anterior. Click any part to read about it, or switch off “Highlight topic” to see the whole body. 3D data: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0; meshes simplified and recoloured. The model is an adult male.

Scalenus anterior at a glance

What it is
A deep neck muscle and an important landmark in the root of the neck.
Location
Originates from the anterior tubercles of the transverse processes of C3 to C6 and inserts onto the scalene tubercle of the first rib.
Function
Elevates the first rib in inspiration and bends the neck to the same side when the rib is fixed.
Body system
Muscular · paired (left and right)
FMA ID
FMA13393 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • Innervation: anterior rami of C4–C6
  • Phrenic nerve runs on its anterior surface; the subclavian vein passes in front and the subclavian artery behind

Clinical relevance

Scalene muscle tightness is implicated in some forms of thoracic outlet syndrome.

Structures next to the scalenus anterior

The nearest named structures in the 3D model, measured from the centre of each part:

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Scalenus anterior (FMA13393). EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service.
  2. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, §11.2 Naming Skeletal Muscles. Rice University, 2022.
  3. Mitsuhashi N. et al. (2009). BodyParts3D: 3D structure database for anatomical concepts. Nucleic Acids Research 37, D782–D785. Data © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0.

Related anatomy

Explore the whole body in the interactive 3D human anatomy model, or browse the A–Z list of human structures.