Case Study: A Possible Accessory Muscle of the Serratus Posterior Superior Muscle

Abstract

Anatomical variation is defined as the normal range of possibilities in the topography and morphology of body structures. In contrast, congenital anomaly is any structural or functional anatomical finding beyond the normal range of possibilities. This case study describes a congenital anomaly found in a 73‐year old preserved Caucasian male.This individual presents an atypical left accessory neck muscle originating from the transverse process of the C1 (Atlas) vertebrae. It inserts at more than 90 degrees onto the serratus posterior superior (SPS) proximal attachment at the C7 level.Head and neck anatomical variations are also present in this individual, which include 4‐headed levator scapulae and 3‐headed splenius muscles bilaterally.It is thought that this anomaly is a result of embryologic development and it is hypothesize that the atypical neck muscle may reinforce the action of the SPS. Due to the rarity of this finding, a description of such a case is very infrequent in the literature. Identifying anatomical head and neck anomalies are important in understanding pathological and evolutionary implications in our species.Support or Funding InformationThe opinions or assertions contained herein are the private ones of the author/speaker and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Department of Defense, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences or any other agency of the U.S. Government.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.