The popliteal artery is a continuation of the femoral artery and is the main arterial supply to the lower leg and foot. Variation in the branching of the popliteal artery typically occurs proximal or distal to where the vessel crosses the popliteus muscle. In the case of a routine dissection of a 92-year-old female cadaver, a variation of the popliteal artery was found where the branches are a posterior tibial artery and a common tibiofibular trunk.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe biceps brachii muscle is a highly variable muscle in the anterior compartment of the arm, and the most common variants include additional heads or slips. The median nerve courses with the brachial artery in the medial arm near the biceps brachii muscle, crosses the elbow, and enters the forearm deep to the bicipital aponeurosis. While entrapment of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel is one of the most common neuropathies, more proximal entrapments by the bicipital aponeurosis or other variants have been reported.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe muscles of mastication derive from a common embryological source, and the presence of accessory muscles in the infratemporal fossa (ITF) is uncommon. Here, we present findings from postmortem dissection of the ITF revealing a unilaterally present muscle extending from the greater wing of the sphenoid to blend inferiorly with the medial and lateral pterygoid muscles before attaching to the lateral pterygoid plate. This muscle is most consistent with the pterygoideus proprius muscle initially described in 1858.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe arterial support of the liver is most commonly from the celiac trunk via the proper hepatic artery (PHA). The PHA divides into left and right branches: the right hepatic artery (RHA) supplies the right and caudate lobes while the left hepatic artery (LHA) supplies the left and quadrate lobes. Aberrant hepatic arteries are relatively common, and the most frequent contributors are the superior mesenteric artery and left gastric artery.
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