1987 Volvo Award in Basic Science: The Morphology of the Lumbar Erector Spinae

The lumbar erector spinae consists of two muscles—iliocostalis lumborum and longissimus thoracis—each with distinct thoracic and lumbar parts. The thoracic parts consist of tiny muscle bellies with segmental origins from the thorax and long caudal tendons that form the erector spinae aponeurosis. The lumbar fibers arise from the lumbar accessory processes and the L1–4 transverse processes, and insert independently of the erector spinae aponeurosis into the ilium. The intrinsic lumbar fibers of the erector spinae are poorly described in the literature, and the existence of the iliocostalis lumborum pars lumborum has rarely been recognized even though it constitutes a substantial portion of the total muscle mass acting directly on the lumbar vertebrae.