Trapezius
Trapezius
Trapezius (/trəˈpiːziəs/ trə-PEE-zee-əs) is a large superficial muscle that extends longitudinally from the occipital bone to the lower thoracic vertebrae and laterally to the spine of the scapula (shoulder blade). Its functions are to move, rotate, and stabilize the scapula.
Etymology
The term "trapezius" was derived from the Greek word "trapezion" which means "a small table", from "trapeza" meaning "table", itself from "tra-," "four" and "peza", "a foot, an end". The muscle resembles a trapezium (trapezoid in American English), or diamond-shaped quadrilateral.
Anatomy
The trapezius has three functional parts: an upper (descending) part which supports the weight of the arm; a middle region (transverse), which retracts the scapula; and a lower (ascending) part which medially rotates and depresses the scapula.
Related Terms
- Scapula: Also known as shoulder blade, it is the bone that connects the humerus (upper arm bone) with the clavicle (collar bone).
- Occipital bone: A cranial dermal bone, and the main bone of the back and lower part of the skull.
- Thoracic vertebrae: The twelve vertebral bodies in the spine that correspond to the chest area.
- Superficial muscle: A muscle that is close to the surface of the skin.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Trapezius
- Wikipedia's article - Trapezius
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski