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Longus capitis muscle

The longus capitis muscle is a deep anterior cervical muscle, essential for head and neck flexion and stabilization. It lies anterior to the cervical vertebral bodies, extending from the transverse processes of the cervical vertebrae to the basilar part of the occipital bone. The longus capitis plays a crucial role in maintaining cervical posture and contributes to movements such as nodding and head flexion. Its anatomical position makes it clinically significant in trauma and pathology involving the prevertebral space.

Synonyms

  • Musculus longus capitis

  • Long muscle of the head

  • Prevertebral muscle of the neck (group)

Function

  • Flexion of the head and neck (bilateral contraction)

  • Lateral flexion and slight rotation of the head (unilateral contraction)

  • Stabilizes the cervical spine and assists in maintaining neck posture

Origin

  • Anterior tubercles of the transverse processes of the C3–C6 vertebrae

Insertion

  • Inferior surface of the basilar part of the occipital bone (just anterior to the foramen magnum)

Nerve Supply

  • Ventral rami of cervical spinal nerves C1–C3

Arterial Supply

  • Ascending cervical artery (branch of the inferior thyroid artery)

  • Ascending pharyngeal artery

  • Muscular branches from the vertebral artery

Venous Drainage

  • Drains into the vertebral vein

  • Also via tributaries of the internal jugular vein

MRI Appearance

  • T1-weighted images:

    • Intermediate signal intensity, similar to other skeletal muscles

  • T2-weighted images:

    • Relatively low signal intensity (isointense to other neck muscles), unless pathology (e.g., edema, tumor) is present

  • STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery):

    • Low signal in normal muscle, but shows high signal in cases of muscle edema, inflammation, or injury

CT Appearance

  • Appears as a soft-tissue density muscle anterior to the upper cervical vertebral bodies, lateral to the longus colli muscle

  • Well defined in cross-section, best visualized on axial and sagittal images

MRI images

Longus capitis muscle axial mri image