| Transversospinales | |
| Latin: | musculi transversospinales |
| Origin: | Transverse process |
| Insertion: | Spinous process |
| Nerve: | Posterior ramus of spinal nerve |
| Action: | Extend vertebral column (bilateral contraction); rotate vertebral column (unilateral contraction) |
The transversospinales are a group of muscles of the human back. Their combined action is rotation and extension of the vertebral column. These muscles are small and have a poor mechanical advantage for contributing to motion. They include: the three semispinalis muscles, the multifidus muscle, and the rotatores muscles.
The three semispinalis muscles, span 4-6 vertebral segments:
The multifidus muscle, and spans 2-4 vertebral segments
The rotatores muscles, lie beneath the multifidus, and spans 1-2 vertebral segments