Trunk (thorax, abdomen, back)
Multifidus, lumbar part
Musculus multifidus (pars lumborum)
- Origin
- Sacrum, posterior superior iliac spine, and mammillary processes of the lumbar vertebrae
- Insertion
- Spinous processes 2 to 4 vertebrae above
- Function
- Principal segmental stabilizer of the lumbar spine; controls intersegmental motion during extension and rotation
- Innervation
- Dorsal rami of the lumbar spinal nerves
- Movement & chain
- Works continuously ahead of large movements of the trunk or limbs (feedforward activation) to safeguard segmental vertebral stability
- Palpation
- Palpable as a bulk along both sides of the spinous processes in the lumbar region, especially as local 'bulging' during active extension against resistance (multifidus lift test).
- Clinical
- Selective atrophy of the lumbar multifidus, often unilateral and at the level of the complaint, is consistently found in patients with low back pain and is a commonly used target for stabilization training
- Segmental innervation
- Dorsal rami L1-S1
- In clinical practice
- Selective activation of the lumbar multifidus is a commonly used exercise in lumbar stabilization training for low back complaints.
- Region in the model
- Trunk (thorax, abdomen, back)