Muscles / Core
Transversus abdominis
- Core
- Abdomen
- Deep layer
Also called TrA, transverse abdominis, TA (abdominal).
Anatomy
- Origin
- Internal surfaces of costal cartilages 7-12, thoracolumbar fascia, iliac crest, lateral inguinal ligament region
- Insertion
- Linea alba (with the internal oblique aponeurosis), pubic crest and pecten pubis via the conjoint tendon
- Nerve
- Thoraco-abdominal nerves (T7-T11), subcostal nerve (T12) and first lumbar nerve (L1) (T7-L1)
Actions
- Compresses and supports the abdominal viscera
- Tensions the thoracolumbar fascia
- Contributes to lumbopelvic control
Exercises that train it most
Also trained by
Notes
- Delayed feed-forward activation was found in people with low back pain.
- Motor control training that targets TrA helps chronic low back pain, but no more than other exercise.
References (6)
- Hodges PW, Richardson CA. Spine. 1996;21(22):2640-2650. Inefficient muscular stabilization of the lumbar spine associated with low back pain: a motor control evaluation of transversus abdominis
- Saragiotto BT, Maher CG, Yamato TP, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;(1):CD012004. Motor control exercise for chronic non-specific low-back pain
- Standring S, ed. Elsevier. Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. 42nd ed.
- Dalley AF, Agur AMR. Wolters Kluwer. Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy. 9th ed.
- Neumann DA. Elsevier. Kinesiology of the Musculoskeletal System: Foundations for Rehabilitation. 3rd ed.
- Betts JG, Young KA, Wise JA, et al. OpenStax (free, openly licensed textbook). Anatomy and Physiology 2e