Pectoralis minor muscle

The Pectoralis minor is a thin, triangular muscle, situated at the upper part of the chest, beneath the Pectoralis major.

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Origin and insertion

It arises from the upper margins and outer surfaces of the third, fourth, and fifth ribs, near their cartilage and from the aponeuroses covering the Intercostalis.

The fibers pass upward and lateralward and converge to form a flat tendon, which is inserted into the medial border and upper surface of the coracoid process of the scapula.

Relations

The pectoralis minor muscle is covered anteriorly (superficially) by the clavipectoral fascia. The medial pectoral nerve pierces the pectoralis minor and the clavipectoral fascia.

Actions

The Pectoralis minor depresses the point of the shoulder, drawing the scapula downward and medialward toward the thorax, and throwing the inferior angle backward.

Variations

Origin from second, third and fourth or fifth ribs. The tendon of insertion may extend over the coracoid process to the greater tubercle. May be split into several parts. Absence rare.

Additional images

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.