The serratus posterior

Serratus posterior superior and inferior

Two thin muscles over the back of the ribs that help with breathing.

What it does

These thin sheets of muscle lie under the rhomboids and latissimus dorsi. The upper one runs from the neck spine to the upper ribs and may help lift them when breathing in. The lower one runs from the lower spine to the lowest ribs and pulls them down.

Nearby

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Sources

Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.

Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.

3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.