Unilateral absence of short head of the biceps brachii in human cadaver: A case study

Abstract

Anatomical variation in the head of biceps brachii is well documented in various studies in the past. As for our best knowledge with the previous publication, there are so many journals reported with multiple variation including accessory heads of biceps brachii muscle (BBM), but the absence of one head of BBM in unilateral arm is very rare. The proximal tendons of the biceps brachii are commonly involved in pathological processes and are a frequent cause of anterior shoulder pain. Disorders of the distal biceps brachii tendon typically result from partial and complete tears of the muscle. Partial tears are usually characterized by enlargement and abnormal contour of the tendon. The purpose of this study was to find some rare kind of variations in the head of biceps brachii with future enlightenment in its potential effects in the normal functioning of upper limb. In the present study, we found that absence of one head of BBM in unilateral arm of one cadaver during anatomical dissection at Windsor University School of Medicine, Brightons Estate, Cayon, P. O. Box-1621, St. Kitts and Nevis, West Indies. Strong evidence of the absence of one head of BBM may be suggestive of developmental anomaly or physical degeneration of the muscle which may lead to complete or partial dysfunction of the region (Szpinda, et al. 2013). However, further studies can reveal the real case of it.