The splenius cervicis (/ˈspliːniəs sərˈvaɪsɪs/) (also known as the splenius colli, /- ˈkɒlaɪ/) is a muscle in the back of the neck. It arises by a narrow tendinous band from the spinous processes of the third to the sixth thoracic vertebrae; it is inserted, by tendinous fasciculi, into the posterior tubercles of the transverse processes of the upper two or three cervical vertebrae.

Its name is based on the Greek word σπληνίον, splenion (meaning a bandage) and the Latin word cervix (meaning a neck).^[1] The word collum also refers to the neck in Latin.^[1]

The function of the splenius cervicis muscle is extension of the cervical spine, rotation to the ipsilateral side and lateral flexion to the ipsilateral side.^[2]

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  Position of splenius cervicis muscle (shown in red).
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  Lateral view.
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  Posterior view.
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  Muscles of the neck. Lateral view.
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  Section of the neck at the level of the sixth cervical vertebra.
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  Splenius and Semispinalis
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  Splenius

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 397 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

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