Rotatores are innervated by which nerves?

• A. Ventral rami of spinal nerves
• B. Cranial nerves
• C. Dorsal rami of spinal nerves
• D. Sympathetic trunk

Answer: (C)

Rotatores, as part of the deep back muscles (the transversospinalis group), are innervated by the dorsal rami of the spinal nerves. The dorsal rami supply the intrinsic back muscles with motor fibers and carry sensory fibers from the skin of the back, which fits their role in stabilizing and guiding rotation of the spine. The ventral rami mainly innervate the anterior trunk and limbs, cranial nerves serve the head and neck structures, and the sympathetic trunk provides autonomic fibers—not the skeletal muscle innervation for these deep back muscles. So the dorsal rami are the appropriate source of innervation for rotatores.