Serratus posterior superior at a glance
- What it is
- A thin muscle of the upper back deep to the rhomboids.
- Location
- Originates from the ligamentum nuchae and spinous processes of C7 to T3 and inserts onto the upper borders of ribs 2 to 5.
- Function
- Elevates the upper ribs; its role in respiration is minor and may be largely proprioceptive.
- Body system
- Muscular · paired (left and right)
- FMA ID
- FMA13403 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)
Key facts
- Innervation: ventral rami of T2–T5 (intercostal nerves)
- It lies deep to the rhomboids and superficial to erector spinae, in the intermediate layer of the back.
Structures next to the serratus posterior superior
The nearest named structures in the 3D model, measured from the centre of each part:
- Iliocostalis cervicis · muscular
- Superior intercostal vein · cardiovascular
- Rhomboid minor · muscular
- Longissimus cervicis · muscular
- Transverse part of trapezius · muscular
- Splenius cervicis · muscular
- Suprascapular artery · cardiovascular
- Third thoracic vertebra · skeletal
- Semispinalis cervicis · muscular
- Intervertebral disk of third thoracic vertebra · skeletal
References
- Foundational Model of Anatomy: Serratus posterior superior (FMA13403). EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service.
- OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, §11.2 Naming Skeletal Muscles. Rice University, 2022.
- 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.