Neck muscles. Artwork showing the anatomy of the posterior neck muscles. Directly below the skull are the suboccipital muscles. From left to right these are superior (upper) and inferior (lower) oblique muscles, two rectus posterior minor and one rectus posterior major. The bone across centre is the atlas. These muscles rotate the skull on the atlas and raise it. The muscles on the cervical (neck) vertebrae are from left to right, interior transverse, semispinalis cervicis, interspinous and multifidus muscles. The interspinous and interior transverse muscles extend and laterally flex the spine, while the others rotate the spine. The semispinalis cervicis also draws back the head.