title: [The morphology and innervation of the levator muscles of the ribs in the dog, cat, horse, and pig].
abstract: In the anatomical literature there are inconsistencies in the description of the levatores costarum muscles in man and in the domestic animals, and their innervation either by the dorsal or the ventral branches of the thoracic nerves. Therefore we studied the form, structure and, with the aid of the dissecting microscope, the innervation of these muscles in 7 dogs, 8 cats, 5 horses and 12 pigs. In the dog, cat and horse, mm. levatores costarum are present from the second to the last rib. In the pig, these muscles are present from the second to the 15th rib, even in individuals with 16 pairs of ribs. Mm. levatores costarum longi and a levator of the first rib could not be found in the domestic animals although these muscles are described in man. All mm. levatores costarum are innervated by branches of the lateral branch of the ramus dorsalis of the respective thoracic nerve. An additional branch of the r. muscularis proximalis of the intercostal nerves 1-3 innervates the lateral part of the levator muscles of the second to the fourth rib.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D004285:Dogs / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006736:Horses / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009132:Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000294:innervation; D012272:Ribs / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013552:Swine / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013900:Thoracic Nerves / Q000033:anatomy & histology
vernacular_title: Morphologie und Innervation der Musculi levatores costarum bei Hund, Katze, Pferd und Schwein.