Aug 15, 2023
Anatomical variations and dimensions of the popliteus muscle in cadaveric specimens
- Murlimanju Virupakshamurthy1,
- Rajanigandha Vadgaonkar1
- 1Department of Anatomy, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
Protocol Citation: Murlimanju Virupakshamurthy, Rajanigandha Vadgaonkar 2023. Anatomical variations and dimensions of the popliteus muscle in cadaveric specimens. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.3byl4qqk8vo5/v1
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: August 15, 2023
Last Modified: August 15, 2023
Protocol Integer ID: 86489
Abstract
Introduction
The popliteus muscle is located at the flexor aspect of
the leg and is supplied by the tibial nerve. This is the only muscle in the
back of leg, which actions on the knee joint and never over the ankle joint.
This is considered as the knee’s unlocking muscle. It laterally swaps the femur
over tibia, while walking when one foot is on the ground. It also causes medial
rotation of the tibia on the femur bone, once the foot is over the ground. Along
with lateral collateral ligament and popliteo-fibular ligament, the tendon of
popliteus plays instrumental role in the stabilization of the posterolateral part
of knee (1). The lateral femoral condyle
and lateral meniscus at its posterior horn, offers the origin of popliteus. Its
origin is tendinous and it is interesting to know that there exists variability
in its origin like from the styloid process of the fibula (2).
Aims and Objective
The
goal of this investigation is to describe the morphology of popliteus muscle with
its tendon in context to its variability in origin, mode of insertion, innervation
patterns and its dimensions. The objectives are to measure the length,
thickness and width of the popliteus at various locations.
Methodology
Study setting: Department
of Anatomy, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore
Study design: Institutional
Based Descriptive Cross Sectional Study
Study participants:A meticulous dissection will be done in adult human cadaveric lower limb
specimens and the morphology of the popliteus muscle will be tabulated for the statistical
analysis.
Inclusion criteria: Lower limb
specimens with an intact posterior compartment will be included
Exclusion criteria: The
specimens showing fractures, any visible deformities and missing parts will be
excluded.
Study duration: 3 months
Sample size: 25adult cadavers (25 right and 25 left sided lower limbs)
Sampling method: The
sample size is similar to the earlier study performed by Olewnik et al. (1).
Data collection methodology: The variability of the origin of popliteus
and the insertion of popliteus will be noted down. To study the morphometry,
the popliteus muscle is divided into certain sections extending from the origin
to its final insertion into the posterior surface of the tibia. The parameters
considered in the study are measuring the length, width and thickness of the
muscle belly and its tendon, which will be taken by digital Vernier caliper.
Data analysis: The
data collected as above will be analyzed by applying paired samples t test.
Implications
The anatomy and biomechanics of popliteus makes it an
important structure, which keeps the knee stable. But its involvement is
ignored in the complex injury of the knee joint (3). The isolated
involvement of popliteus is seen in sports injuries and it may be
misinterpreted as a tear of lateral meniscus. The sports like tennis,
basketball and downhill running may put additional stress on the tendon of
popliteus (3). In this context, the morphometric data of popliteus are clinically important for the effective treatment of the
popliteus muscle spasticity (4).
Protocol references
- Olewnik, Ł., LaPrade, R.F., Paulsen, F. et al. A proposal for a new morphological classification of the popliteus muscle tendon with potential clinical and biomechanical significance. Sci Rep 11, 14434 (2021).
- Hyland S, Varacallo M. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Popliteus Muscle. [Updated 2020 Aug 15]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020.
- Zabrzyński J, Huri G, Yataganbaba A, Paczesny Ł, Szwedowski D, Zabrzyńska A, Łapaj Ł, Gagat M, Wiśniewski M, Pękala P. Current concepts on the morphology of popliteus tendon and its clinical implications. Folia Morphol (Warsz). 2021;80(3):505-513.
- Jeon A, Kim YG, Sohn Y, Lee JH. Nerve and Arterial Supply Pattern of the Popliteus Muscle and Clinical Implications. Biomed Res Int. 2022 Jan 10;2022:6980471.