Anatomical and topographic features of the gluteal muscle group of extensors and rotators of the hip joint in a Maine Coon cat

Abstract

The article presents the anatomical features of the gluteal group of extensors and supinators of the hip joint in a Maine Coon cat, which are absent in the available literature. The Maine Coon is the largest of the numerous breeds of domestic cats. To date, the anatomy of cats, and even more so the age, sex, breed, and species characteristics remain poorly understood, while the study of the specific anatomical features of the pelvic limb muscles in animals is one of the urgent tasks in the field of comparative anatomy and practical veterinary medicine. We have established that the muscles of the gluteal extensor group belong to different types of muscles: the middle gluteal is dynamic, the additional and deep gluteal, the pear–shaped is dynamostatic, with appropriate functional abilities. The research was carried out at the Department of Anatomy and Histology of Animals named after Professor A.F. Klimov, Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology – MBA named after K.I. Scriabin."The sectional material – pelvic limbs (n=8), selected from a domestic cat, without external signs of musculoskeletal pathologies, served as a material for research. Methods of fine macro- and microanatomic dissection were used, followed by functional analysis of the studied structures and skeletotopic projection of points of attachment of muscle parts. On the basis of the conducted research, we have established the skeleto-topical features of the anatomical formations on the pelvic and femur bones. It has been convincingly shown that the main extensor of the hip joint in the Maine Coon is the gluteus medius muscle. It is the most powerful among the gluteal muscles and belongs to the dynamic type in its internal structure. At the same time, the additional gluteus muscle, being a muscle of the dynamo-static type, performs a more static function of the joint, that is, when it is extended, it holds the joint in this position for a longer time. The piriformis and deep gluteus muscles, anchored by the bases at different levels, are synergists in hip abduction.