Myotome Poem
“the group of muscles that a single spinal nerve innervates”
2) Dr. Geoff Hardin
3) Poem
1, 2 I nod to you
3 don’t tickle me
4 I’m not sure
5 feel alive
6, 7, 8 close the gate
5, 6 pick up sticks
7, 8 lay them straight
5, 6 flick my wrists
7, 8 the time is late
6, 7 fly up to heaven
7 paper
8 rock
1 scissors
2, 3 lift my knee
3, 4 kick the door
4, 5 foot points to the sky
4, 5 extend my thigh
5, 1, (2) kick my bum (run to poo)
1, 2 stand on my shoes
2, 3, 4 modestly close the door
4 - 2 the opposite is true
3, 4, 5 keeps the diaphragm alive
2, 3, 4 keeps poo off the floor
4) Spinal level, memory aid, and action
C1, C2 “I nod to you”
- neck flexion/extension
C3 “don’t tickle me”
- neck lateral flexion
C4 “I’m not sure”
- shoulder elevation
C5 “feel alive”
- shoulder flexion, abduction, & lateral rotation
C6, 7, 8 “close the gate”
- shoulder extension, adduction & medial rotation
C5, 6 “pick up sticks”
- elbow flexion
C7, 8 “lay them straight”
- elbow extension
C5, 6 “flick my wrists”
- forearm supination
C7, 8 “the time is late”
- forearm pronation
C6, 7 “fly up to heaven”
- wrist flexion & extension
C7 “paper”
- finger extension
C8 “rock”
- finger flexion (though some sources say C7, 8 does both finger extension and flexion)
T1 “scissors”
- finger abduction & adduction
L2, 3 “lift my knee”
- hip flexion
L3, 4 “kick the door”
- knee extension (& knee-jerk reaction)
L4, 5 “foot points to the sky”
- ankle dorsiflexion
L4, 5 “extend my thigh”
- hip extension
L5, S1, (S2) “kick my bum (run to poo)”
- knee flexion
S1, 2 “stand on my shoes”
- ankle plantarflexion (& ankle jerk)
L2, 3, 4 “modestly close the door”
- hip adduction & internal/medial rotation
L4 - S2 “the opposite is true”
- hip abduction & external/lateral rotation
C3, 4, 5 “keeps the diaphragm alive”
- innervates the diaphragm
S2, 3, 4 “Keeps poo off the floor”
- innervates bowel, bladder, sex organs, anal sphincter, pelvic muscles. (& anal wink reflex)
5) Complete myotome chart
Upper limb
6) Complete myotome chart
Lower limb
