Bilateral absence of the tendinous intersections of the rectus abdominis muscle

Year 2009, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 69 - 71, 01.10.2009

Z. Aslı Aktan İkiz Hülya Üçerler

https://doi.org/10.2399/ana.09.015

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. 

Keywords

tendinous intersections, rectus abdominis muscle, rectus abdominis flap, breast reconstruction