Multifidi

Structure

Each multifidus muscle arises from a transverse process and inserts onto the spinous process of a vertebra two to four levels above. Together they form a thick column running from the sacrum to the second cervical vertebra.

Function

The multifidi act as fine-tuning stabilizers, contracting just before larger trunk muscles to keep individual spinal segments in alignment.

Clinical note

Wasting of the lumbar multifidi is associated with chronic low-back pain, and rehabilitation programs often target their reactivation.