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Scalenus posterior: anatomy, location and function

The smallest and deepest of the scalene muscles. Elevates the second rib and bends the neck to the same side.

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Highlighted in the model: Scalenus posterior. 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 posterior at a glance

What it is
The smallest and deepest of the scalene muscles.
Location
Originates from the posterior tubercles of the transverse processes of C4 to C6 and inserts onto the outer surface of the second rib.
Function
Elevates the second rib and bends the neck to the same side.
Body system
Muscular · paired (left and right)
FMA ID
FMA13389 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • Innervation: anterior rami of C6–C8
  • It is the only scalene muscle that inserts on the second rib, lying behind scalenus medius.

Structures next to the scalenus posterior

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

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Scalenus posterior (FMA13389). 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.