Levator Scapulae Muscle
Anatomy Terms
- Clavicle
- Clavicular Head of Sternocleidomastoid Muscle
- Deltoid Muscle
- Depressor Anguli Oris Muscle
- Depressor Labii Inferioris Muscle
- Frontal Belly of Epicranius Muscle (Frontalis Muscle)
- Galea Aponeurotica
- Levator Labii Superioris Alaeque Nasi Muscle
- Levator Labii Superioris Muscle
- Levator Scapulae Muscle
- Masseter Muscle
- Mentalis Muscle
- Muscles of the Eye
- Muscles of the Tongue
- Nasalis Muscle
- Occipital Belly of Epicranius Muscle (Occipitalis Muscle)
- Omohyoid Muscle
- Orbicularis Oculi Muscle
- Orbicularis Oris Muscle
- Platysma Muscle
- Risorius Muscle
- Scalene Muscles
- Scapula
- Semispinalis Capitis Muscle
- Serratus Anterior Muscle
- Skull
- Spine
- Splenius Capitis Muscle
- Sternal Head of Sternocleidomastoid Muscle
- Sternocleidomastoid Muscle
- Sternohyoid Muscle
- Supraspinatus Muscle
- Temporalis Muscle
- Trapezius Muscle
- True Ribs
- Zygomaticus Major Muscle
- Zygomaticus Minor Muscle
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Full Levator Scapulae Muscle Description
[Continued from above] . . . muscle pulls from the upper cervical area along a parallel line with the medial aspect of the scapula so that it can elevate the scapula and shrug the shoulders. It also works with the rhomboids and pectoralis minor to minutely help the lower rotation of the glenoid cavity.
In addition, the levator scapulae muscle laterally flexes the neck to the side when the scapula is fixed. The other scapula muscles will work with the levator scapulae to secure the scapula and its corresponding glenoid cavity to strengthen how efficiently and effectively the muscles work in the shoulder joint.
The sternocleidomastoid covers the superior portion of the levator scapula and the trapezius covers the inferior part. The scalenus medius binds the levator scapulae in front and the splenius cervicis in back. In the middle of the levator scapulae, the spinal accessory nerve flows laterally and the dorsal scapular nerve may rest much lower to go through it. The levator scapulae are served by two or three branches of the fourth and fifth cervical nerves and often by a dorsal scapular branch.