Anatomy (International Journal of Experimental and Clinical Anatomy)
 
Anatomy 2009; 3: 69-71
Received: May 7, 2009; Accepted: August 07, 2009; Published online: August 27, 2009
doi:10.2399/ana.09.015
 
Case Report
 

Bilateral absence of the tendinous intersections of the rectus abdominis muscle

 

Z. Aslı Aktan İkiz, Hülya Üçerler

 

Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, İzmir, Turkey (z.asli.ikiz@ege.edu.tr)

 
Abstract:
 

The rectus abdominis muscle is well known to be segmented by tendinous intersections into a certain number of serially arranged compartments. The tendinous intersections are present only on the anterior aspect and fused with anterior sheat of the muscle. Since the rectus abdominis is used as a graft, there are lots of studies in the literature about the rectus abdominis muscle and its intersections. In the dissection of a 64-year-old man at the Department of Anatomy of Ege University Medicine Faculty, an anatomical form of the rectus abdominis muscle not described in the available literature was encountered. Both rectus muscles, right and left, were symmetrical but there were not any tendinous intersections on them. The total length of the muscle was 30 cm for both sides. The width at the umbilical level was 5.7 cm on the right side and 5.4 cm on the left side. The thickness of the muscle at the umbilical level was 0.5 cm for both sides. This previously unreported variation is very interesting for clinical approaches since the transverse rectus abdominis flap is an important reconstructive tool, particularly in reconstruction of the breast following mastectomy.

 
Key words: tendinous intersections; rectus abdominis muscle; rectus abdominis flap; breast reconstruction

 

 

Anatomy 2009; 3: 69-71

Anatomy (International Journal of Experimental and Clinical Anatomy),
official publication of the Turkish Society of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy (TSACA),
is published by Deomed Medical Publishing, Istanbul.

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