Muscle
Rectus abdominis
The 'six-pack'
High-yield
Flexes the trunk; enclosed in the rectus sheath; supplied by ventral rami T7–T12 (thoracoabdominal nerves).
Overview
A long paired strap muscle in the anterior abdominal wall, divided by tendinous intersections, that flexes the trunk and compresses the abdomen.
Reference facts
- Origin
Pubic symphysis and pubic crest
- Insertion
Xiphoid process and 5th–7th costal cartilages
- Action
Flexes the trunk (lumbar spine); compresses the abdominal viscera; tenses the abdominal wall
- Innervation
Thoracoabdominal nerves — anterior rami of T7–T12
- Blood supply
Superior and inferior epigastric arteries