Biometry of the brachial triceps muscle and its motor points. A direct anatomical study in a sample of Colombian population

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Edgar Adrián Torres; Luis Ernesto Ballesteros & Pedro Luis Forero

Summary

The anatomical characteristics of the triceps brachii (TBM) muscle determine the repair speed and torque generation capacity. The TBM is typically innervated by the radial nerve (RN), but there are reports of innervation by the axillary nerve. The aim of this study was to evaluate musculotendinous and nervous components of TBM. Through direct dissection in a sample of 48 arms of the Colombian mestizo population, we evaluated musculotendinous morphometry, nerve branches, motor points (MP) and origin of TBM innervation. The lengths of the medial, lateral and long heads of the TBM corresponded to 77.3 %, 86 % and 97 % of the arm length respectively. The TBM was innervated in the whole sample by the NR who issued between two and five motor branches. The first branch innervated the long head in 100 % of cases and emerged laterally to the tendinous band insertion of the latissimus dorsi muscle. The long head received three MP (26.6 %), located in 85 % of the specimens at 4 - 10 cm of muscular origin; while the lateral head received three MP in 44.4 % of the sample. There were no statistically significant differences between the number of MP of the left TBM in relation to the right (p = 0.578). The dispersion area of MP, as well as TBM morphometry are clinically relevant due to their use in neuromuscular electrical stimulation and nerve transfers. The findings presented in this study are a guide to facilitate results in this type of therapeutic action.

KEY WORDS: Triceps brachii muscle; Motor points; Morphometry; Radial nerve.

How to cite this article

TORRES, E. A.; BALLESTEROS, L. E. & FORERO, P. L. Biometry of the brachial triceps muscle and its motor points. a direct anatomical study in a sample of Colombian population. Int. J. Morphol., 36(3):948-954, 2018.