Muscles of the back innervated by the dorsal primary rami of spinal nerves; includes erector spinae, transversospinalis, interspinal, and intertransverse muscles; excludes the superficial back muscles which are appendicular and are innervated by ventral rami, and the trapezius, innervated by the spinal accessory nerve.
Synonym: true muscles of back.
(05 Mar 2000)