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# Rotatores

The rotatores are the smallest, deepest back muscles, best developed in the mid-back; they steady the spine and sense its position.

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## What it is

The smallest and deepest back muscles, from each transverse process to the lamina above, best developed in the mid-back.

## What it does

Steady and slightly twist the spine; they are rich in sensors that tell the brain where each vertebra is.

## Key points

- Deepest layer of the transversospinal group: rotatores breves span one segment, rotatores longi two
- Best developed in the thoracic [spine](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/region/spine/); in the neck and lower back they are small and irregular
- Very rich in muscle spindles, so many authors see them more as position sensors than as movers

## Key facts

**Origin**
Transverse processes; best developed in the thoracic region

**Insertion**
Lamina and base of spinous process 1 (brevis) or 2 (longus) segments above

**Action**
Stabilise vertebrae; assist extension and rotation to the opposite side; proprioception

**Nerve**
Medial branches of dorsal rami (segmental)

**Blood supply**
Dorsal branches of [posterior intercostal arteries](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/posterior-intercostal-arteries/) (and lumbar, deep cervical)

## Relations

**Superficial**
[Multifidus](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/multifidus-muscles/), then [semispinalis](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/semispinalis-muscles/)

**Deep**
Laminae, transverse processes and facet joint capsules

**Medial**
Bases of the spinous processes

## How to find it

They cannot be felt. In a posterior approach they are the last thin fibres cleared from the laminae and transverse processes before the facet joints are exposed.

## On imaging

Not seen separately on routine imaging; on axial MRI they are part of the deep layer on the laminae and transverse processes, clearest in the thoracic spine. What is assessed instead is the whole transversospinal group: oedema after injury, or fatty change after posterior surgery or denervation. In facet procedures under fluoroscopy or CT, bony landmarks guide the needle.

## Common problems

- Shrinks and fills with fat in chronic low back pain, sometimes only at the painful level.
- Is stripped or split from the bone in open posterior spine surgery; muscle-sparing approaches try to protect it.

## How it is diagnosed

MRI or ultrasound shows its size and fat content.

## Treatment

- Targeted exercise (motor control training) to retrain the deep stabilisers.

## Clinical notes

- Removed in laminectomy and facet exposure; their loss is thought to blunt the segmental position sense of the spine
- Supplied by the medial branches of the dorsal rami, the nerves targeted in facet joint denervation

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## How do rotatores breves differ from rotatores longi?

Rotatores breves span one segment, rotatores longi two; both run from a transverse process to the lamina above.

## In which part of the spine are the rotatores best developed?

The thoracic spine; in the neck and lower back they are small and irregular.

## Why are the rotatores thought of mainly as position sensors?

They are very rich in muscle spindles, giving segmental proprioception more than movement.

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Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.

## Its names

**Official Latin (TA2)**
rotatores TA2 2284

**Official Spanish (DeCS)**
Músculos rotadores DeCS D064170

**English (TA2)**
Rotatores

**Also called**
rotator muscles

## Related

- [Multifidus](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/multifidus-muscles/)
- [L2 vertebra](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/lumbar-vertebra-spine-and-pelvis/)
- [L3 vertebra](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/lumbar-vertebra-spine-and-pelvis-l3/)
- [Sacrum](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/sacrum/)
- [T2 vertebra](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/t2/)
- [T3 vertebra](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/t3/)
- [T5 vertebra](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/t5/)
- [T7 vertebra](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/t7/)

Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); [DeCS](https://decs.bvsalud.org/es/ths/resource/?id=55179&filter=ths_termall&q=M%C3%BAsculos%20Paraespinales); [Anatomy, Back](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539746/).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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Source: https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/rotatores/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/rotatores/