Longus capitis
Musculus longus capitis
Bows the head at the skull-atlas joint and bends the neck ventrally.
About the longus capitis of the dog
Longus capitis is a muscle of the neck (neck), one on each side of the body. Its name in the Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria is Musculus longus capitis. You can turn it above, see it in place in the neck of the dog, and open it inside the whole animal in Vetomica.
Where it runs from and to
A muscle is told apart from its neighbours by what it takes hold of at each end, which is also what decides what it does when it shortens.
- Origin
- Transverse processes of cervical vertebrae two through six.
- Insertion
- Muscular tubercle on the ventral basioccipital, lying between the two tympanic bullae.
- Action
- Bows the head at the skull-atlas joint and bends the neck ventrally.
- Nerve
- Ventral branches of the cervical spinal nerves.
Written for Vetomica in its own words from the standard reference anatomy of the dog; the books it was checked against are listed below.
What it works on
Bones it takes hold of
- Cervical vertebrae
- Occipital bone
- Temporal bone tympanic part
Muscles and ligaments it works with
- Long muscle of the neck
- Rectus capitis ventralis
- Hyopharyngeus
Terminology
- English
- Longus capitis
- Latin (NAV)
- Musculus longus capitis
- Status
- A valid term in the Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria
References
Where to read this structure in full, and where the named parts above were read.
- NAV 2017Myologia
- Miller's Anatomy of the Dog, 5th ed.The Muscular System: muscles of the neck
- Dyce, Sack & WensingThe neck, back and vertebral column of the dog and cat
- Miller 2020 (book pass)ch. 6 The Muscular System, PDF p. 505
Questions about the longus capitis
- What is the Latin name of the longus capitis?
- In the Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria, the longus capitis is called Musculus longus capitis.
- Where is the longus capitis of the dog?
- Longus capitis is a muscle of the neck (neck), one on each side of the body.
- Which bones does the longus capitis attach to?
- Longus capitis takes hold of Cervical vertebrae, Occipital bone and Temporal bone tympanic part.
- Where does the longus capitis originate and insert?
- Origin: Transverse processes of cervical vertebrae two through six. Insertion: Muscular tubercle on the ventral basioccipital, lying between the two tympanic bullae.
- What nerve supplies the longus capitis?
- Ventral branches of the cervical spinal nerves.
- What does the longus capitis do?
- Bows the head at the skull-atlas joint and bends the neck ventrally.
See the longus capitis inside the whole dog.
Vetomica opens on this structure with every layer of the dog around it: peel back the skin and the muscles, cut a section through it, X-ray it, and practise naming it until you stop getting it wrong.
Free for 7 days, no card. After that the skeletons stay free.
