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A previously undescribed case of the axillary arch muscle
Affiliations- Department of Anatomical Dissection and Donation, Medical University of Lodz, Poland
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Abstract
The axillary arch muscle, also called Langer’s muscle, axillopectoralis, or pectodorsalis is a muscular variation of the latissimus dorsi muscle. During a standard anatomical dissection, the axillary arch muscle was found bilaterally. On both sides it originated from the latissimus dorsi as a muscle belly. Next it was passing into wide tendinous structure attached to the tendon of the pectoralis major muscle. Then, the narrow tendinous slip inserted into the coracoid process was found. The axillary arch muscle was innervated by the thoracodorsal nerve on both sides. Knowledge about morphological variations in this region is important since there is a direct relationship with neurovascular structures, e.g., ending branches of the brachial plexus, which may lead to paresthesia or muscle weakness.
Abstract
The axillary arch muscle, also called Langer’s muscle, axillopectoralis, or pectodorsalis is a muscular variation of the latissimus dorsi muscle. During a standard anatomical dissection, the axillary arch muscle was found bilaterally. On both sides it originated from the latissimus dorsi as a muscle belly. Next it was passing into wide tendinous structure attached to the tendon of the pectoralis major muscle. Then, the narrow tendinous slip inserted into the coracoid process was found. The axillary arch muscle was innervated by the thoracodorsal nerve on both sides. Knowledge about morphological variations in this region is important since there is a direct relationship with neurovascular structures, e.g., ending branches of the brachial plexus, which may lead to paresthesia or muscle weakness.
Keywords
axillary arch muscle, latissimus dorsi muscle, pectoralis major muscle, brachial plexus, paresthesia, thoracodorsal nerve, compression
About this articleTitle
A previously undescribed case of the axillary arch muscle
Journal
Issue
Article type
Case report
Published online
2023-12-05
Page views
179
Article views/downloads
88
DOI
Pubmed
Keywords
axillary arch muscle
latissimus dorsi muscle
pectoralis major muscle
brachial plexus
paresthesia
thoracodorsal nerve
compression
Authors
Nicol Zielinska
Bartłomiej Szewczyk
Łukasz Olewnik
