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Torso muscles
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 07.07.2025
The muscles of the trunk are divided into the muscles of the back, chest and abdomen. The posterior regions of the trunk (regiones dorsales) cover the entire posterior surface of the trunk. The upper border of the back is the external occipital protuberance and the superior nuchal line of the occipital bone. The lower border is the level of the sacroiliac joints and the coccyx. On the sides, the back borders on the shoulder girdle, the axillary fossa and the lateral surfaces of the chest and abdomen along the posterior right and left axillary lines. Within the back, separate regions are distinguished: vertebral (regio vertebralis), sacral (regio sacralis), scapular (regio scapularis), subscapular (regio infrascapularis) and lumbar (regio lumbalis). In addition, for convenience of describing the muscles, the posterior region of the neck (regio cervicalis posterior) is also included here.
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