Myology

GanSheng-Wei

Department of Anatomy
I. The general aspects on the
muscles

⒈The relations of the muscles to the

bone

① All of them are attached by at least one

end to some parts of the skeleton (e. g.
pectoralis major).
② Most of them over the joints
The number of the joints that
the muscle acts on depends on how
many joints it overs.
Generally, a muscle covers at
least one or more joints, if a muscle
covers some joints, it is certain that
the muscle act on the overlapped
joints. (e. g. biceps brachii)
 ③ According to the function in a specific
movement, the muscles can be divided
into:
A. prime mover ( or agonists)
B. antagonists
C. synergists
D. fixators

A muscle may act as a primer or antagonist under different

condition. And the funtional roles can be exchanged as different
conditions.
2. The principles of the nomenclature of
the muscles
① Relying on the origin and the insertion of the
muscles: e. g. coracobrachialis, sternocleidomastoid .

② Relying on the shape: e. g. deltoid.

③ Relying on the location: e. g. intercostales externi.

④ Relying on the function and shape: e. g.

pronator teres.
II. The arrangement of the
muscles of the body

⒈The muscles of trunk

⒉The muscles of head

⒊The muscles of neck

⒋The muscles of upper limb

⒌The muscles of lower limb

⒈The muscles of trunk
⑴ The muscles of back

⑵ The muscles of thorax

⑶ The diaphragm

⑷ The muscles of abdomen

⑴ The muscles of back
① The superficial group:
Trapezius
Latissimus dorsi

② The deep group:

Erector spinae
Rhomboideus
⑵ The muscles of thorax
Pectoralis major

Pectoralis minor

Serratus anterior

Intercostales externi

Intercostales interni
⑶ The diaphragm
aortic hiatus
esophageal hiatus
vena cava foramen
① dome-shaped
② septum: it’s a septum which divides the
body cavity into thoracic cavity and
abdominal cavity.
③ central tendon
④ the muscular fibers are radiated from the
central tendon
⑷ The muscles of abdomen
① The anterolaternal group
rectus abdominis
obliquus externus abdominis
obliquus internus abdominis
transverses abdominis

② The deep group

quadratus lumborum
⒉The muscles of head
⑴ facial m.
orbicularis oculi (muscle of eye)
orbicularis oris (muscle of mouth)

⑵ masticatory m.
masseter
temporalis
medial pterygoid
lateral pterygoid
 ⒋The muscles of
neck
⑴ The superficial
group
platysma
sternocleidomastoid
⑵ The hyoid muscles
suprahyoid m.
infrahyoid m
⑶ The deep cervical m.
scalenus anterior
scalenus medius
scalenus posterior
⒌The muscles of upper limb
⑴ The muscles of shoulder girdle

⑵ The muscles of arm

⑶ The muscles of forearm

⑷ The muscles of hand

 ⑴ The muscles of shoulder
girdle
deltoid

⑵ The muscles of arm

① The anterior group
biceps brachii
coracobrachialis
brachialis
② The posterior group
triceps brachii
⑶ The muscles of forearm
① The anterior group

② The posterior group

⑷ The muscles of hand

① The lateral group: thenar

② The middle group: lumbricales

③ The medial group: hypothenar

Define the concept of adduction and abduction of
fingers.
⒌The muscles of lower limb
⑴ The muscles of the hip

⑵ The muscles of thigh

⑶ The muscles of leg

⑷ The muscles of foot

⑴ The muscles of the hip

① anterior group
iliopsoas （ psoas major 、 iliacus ） .

② posterior group
gluteus maximus
gluteus medius
gluteus minimus
piriformis
⑵ The muscles of thigh
① anterior group
sartorius
quadriceps femoris(rectus femoris / vastus
medialis / vastus lateralis / vastus
intermedius)

② medial group
pectineus
adductor longus
gracilis
adductor brevis
adductor magnus
③ posterior group
biceps femoris
semitendinosus
semimembranosus
⑶ The
muscles
of leg
Trapezius

Latissimus dorsi
Erector spinae
rectus abdominis

obliquus externus
abdominis

obliquus internus
abdominis

transverses abdominis
quadratus lumborum
psoas major

iliacus
Rhomboideus
 Summary
I. The action of some muscels
⑴facial m.
⑴ orbicularis oculi: (innervated by facial n.)
actions: close the eyelids
if the VII. N is injured, the eyelids can not close.
The eye cann’t shut voluntarily.
⑵ orbicularis oris (innervated by bilateral facial n.)
actions: close mouth. Normally, muscles in
bilateral sides contract, the mouth is right in the
middle. If VII. N is injured, the face looks
asymmetrical. When a smile is attemped, the angle
of mouth is wry toward the unaffected side.
The muscles of trunk
⑴ trapezius
steady
raise
descend
retract
rotate (sup. and inf. position are unbalance) 、
⑵ latissimus dorsi
action: extend
adduct shoulder joint
medially rotate
3. sternocleidomastoid
acting alone, the head is incline laterally, and the face
is rotated to the opposite side.

4. movement of respiratory
⑴ inspiratory:
① external intercostal m. contract to make ribs lift, the
diameter from anterior to posterior is incresing, which
results in increasing of the volume of thoracic cavity.
② the diaphragm contracts to make the top of dome
lower, subsequently the volume of thoracic cavity is
increasing.
⑵ expiratory
① internal intercostal m. contract to make ribs
lower, which results in the decreasing of
thoracic cavity.
② the diaphragm is relax to make the top of
dome lift, subsequently the volume of thoracic
cavity is decrasing.

when deep respiration is performed, the muscles of

abdomen, even some of muscles of neck will take
part in the action.
5. the muscles of leg
⑴ lateral group ----- (peroneus longus & peroneus
brevis):evert foot, plantarflex ankle joint
⑵ anterior group----- invert foot, dorsiflex ankle
joint
The two groups are innervated by common
peroneal n.
⑶ posterior group------invert foot, plantarflex ankle
joint, innervated by tibial n.
when common peroneal n. is injured, the muscles
of lateral and anterior groups are paralysis, the foot
is inversion in position, the ankle joint is plantarflex
in position; when tibial n. is injured, the foot is
eversion in position, the ankle joint is joint is
dorsiflex in position.
6. the muscles of hand
thenar
hypothenar
lunbricalis
palmar interosseous m.
dorsal interosseous m.
** the lumbricalis attached to the radial side of
fingers.
action: they make metacarpo-phalangeal joints from
2-5 flex, but interphalangeal joints from 2-5 extend.
II. temporomandibular joint
⑴ formation:
① essential structures
head of mandible
mandibular fossa + articular tubercle
② accessory structures
lateral lig.
temporomandibular disc
⑵ movement:
① open mouth: supahyoid m. + infrahyoid m. +lateral
pterygoid
② close mouth: masseter +temporalis +medial pterygoid
③ mandibular moving forward, and performing side-to-
side movement: lateral ptergoid and medial pterygoid
contract in turn.