Abstract
Muscular anatomy often differs between species and individuals. In particular, the plantaris muscle (PM) demonstrates great morphological variability in its course and its proximal and distal attachments. The aim of this study was to investigate the morphological variation of the PM tendon in human fetuses. Forty-six spontaneously aborted human fetuses (23 male, 23 female) aged 18–38 weeks of gestation were studied. Morphology of the attachment of the PM was assessed in both lower extremities (n = 92). The PM was present in 72 lower limbs (78.26%) and absent in 20 (21.74%). Eight types of PM distal attachment were identified. We propose an eight-fold classification of PM insertion in fetuses. Leg length, length of tendon, extension point (ExP) from the calcaneus, and ExP thickness differed significantly among types of PM insertion.
Highlights
While there are several classifications of insertion type, these may not cover certain extremely rare examples of plantaris muscle (PM), and accurate identification is crucial for correct differentiation and diagnosis of certain conditions, as well as for patient h ealth[5,6,7,8]
Previous studies were performed on fetuses by Yildiza et al.[16] and Desdicioglu et al.[17], neither Yildiza et al nor Desdicioglu et al identified all insertion types of PM tendon, these studies were focused on measurements of PM tendon, not the classification and comparison with adults
The aim of this study was to assess the morphology of the tendon of the PM in human fetuses and to compare the results with those of other studies performed in fetuses and adult cadavers
Summary
While there are several classifications of insertion type, these may not cover certain extremely rare examples of PM, and accurate identification is crucial for correct differentiation and diagnosis of certain conditions, as well as for patient h ealth[5,6,7,8]. Most studies on the morphology and morphometry of the PM have been performed in adults, and data on its structure in human fetuses are sparse. Previous studies were performed on fetuses by Yildiza et al.[16] and Desdicioglu et al.[17], neither Yildiza et al nor Desdicioglu et al identified all insertion types of PM tendon, these studies were focused on measurements of PM tendon, not the classification and comparison with adults. The aim of this study was to assess the morphology of the tendon of the PM in human fetuses and to compare the results with those of other studies performed in fetuses and adult cadavers. Knowing the morphology and morphometry of PM tendon in human fetuses will be beneficial for better understanding the biomechanics of this muscle
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