Which muscle originates from the transverse processes of several vertebrae?

• A. Multifidus
• B. Rotatores
• C. Interspinales
• D. Rectus capitis posterior major

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is recognizing a muscle whose origin spans multiple vertebral levels from the transverse processes. The multifidus fits this description best. It’s a deep intrinsic back muscle that runs along the spine with origins from the transverse processes of nearly all vertebrae (from sacrum up through the cervical region) and inserts on the spinous processes of vertebrae several levels above. This broad, multi-segmental origin pattern is what lets the multifidus stabilize the spine and contribute to small, controlled movements.

Rotatores also arise from the transverse processes, but they’re short, spanning only 1–2 segments to the spinous or lamina above, and are not described as originating from transverse processes across several vertebrae. Interspinales sit between adjacent spinous processes, not from transverse processes. The rectus capitis posterior major arises from the axis’s spinous process and goes to the occipital bone, far from the transverse-process origin pattern in question.