Rhomboid minor muscle

The rhomboid minor muscle is a small muscle of the back that connects the scapula (shoulder blade) to the spinal column. It retracts the scapula when contracted.

The rhomboid minor is located between the levator scapulae and rhomboid major muscle. It works with the rhomboid major to assist with adduction of the arm. It retracts the scapula, elevates the medial border of the scapulae and rotates the scapulae to depress the lateral angle. The rhomboids keep the scapulae stable when the shoulder is in motion. The nerve associated with this muscle is called the dorsal scapular nerve which is located on the C5 area of the cervical spine. The arterial supply comes from the dorsal scapular artery.

Word origin
The rhomboid minor gets its name from the rhombus, a four-sided shape with which it shares a similar shape. The minor part of the name distinguishes it from the rhomboid major muscle, which sits in front of it.