Abstract:Background: The anterior belly of the digastric muscle (ABDM) presents highly variable and frequent anatomical variations. Since the ABDM functions as a landmark for clinical procedures involving the submental region, it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of its variations. In this study, we sought to improve our knowledge of ABDM variations in the ethnically diverse whole-body donor population in Northern California. Specific aims were: (1) to determine the frequency of ABDM and AB accessory m… Show more
“…Due to the highly variable anomaly, some classi cation systems had been made by researchers. As shown in the Anderson's study, the variation of ABDM could be classi ed into six types based on its origin and insertion, including atavistic, origin, insertion, mixed, complex and deletion types [2]. Kim and Loukas also used some pattern diagrams to describe the variations of the digastric muscle [8].…”
During dissection of the suprahyoid region, a pair of big bilaterally symmetrical anomalous accessory digastric muscles were discovered, which lay superficial to the mylohyoid muscle and occupied nearly all the area between the anterior bellies of digastric muscle. The bilateral anomalous muscles formed a trapezoid. Its base connected the left and right intermediate tendons of digastric muscle and free from the hyoid bone. The lower portion was thick and the muscle fibers ran horizontally. The upper portion became thin while running medially and superiorly, and eventually formed an aponeurosis attached to the lower margin of the mandible between the digastric fossae. In the midline, the bilateral muscle fibers crossed each other and fused deeply with the mylohyoid raphe. In addition, the intermediate tendon of digastric muscle didn’t pass through the stylohyoid muscle and had no fibrous sling on both sides, whereas it crossed over and lay superior and lateral to the stylohyoid muscle. No other morphologic abnormalities were found in this region. This unique coexisted variation of anterior bellies and intermediate tendons has not been previously reported in the literature. It is important to be familiar with the digastric variations both in anatomy teaching and in clinic practice.
“…Due to the highly variable anomaly, some classi cation systems had been made by researchers. As shown in the Anderson's study, the variation of ABDM could be classi ed into six types based on its origin and insertion, including atavistic, origin, insertion, mixed, complex and deletion types [2]. Kim and Loukas also used some pattern diagrams to describe the variations of the digastric muscle [8].…”
During dissection of the suprahyoid region, a pair of big bilaterally symmetrical anomalous accessory digastric muscles were discovered, which lay superficial to the mylohyoid muscle and occupied nearly all the area between the anterior bellies of digastric muscle. The bilateral anomalous muscles formed a trapezoid. Its base connected the left and right intermediate tendons of digastric muscle and free from the hyoid bone. The lower portion was thick and the muscle fibers ran horizontally. The upper portion became thin while running medially and superiorly, and eventually formed an aponeurosis attached to the lower margin of the mandible between the digastric fossae. In the midline, the bilateral muscle fibers crossed each other and fused deeply with the mylohyoid raphe. In addition, the intermediate tendon of digastric muscle didn’t pass through the stylohyoid muscle and had no fibrous sling on both sides, whereas it crossed over and lay superior and lateral to the stylohyoid muscle. No other morphologic abnormalities were found in this region. This unique coexisted variation of anterior bellies and intermediate tendons has not been previously reported in the literature. It is important to be familiar with the digastric variations both in anatomy teaching and in clinic practice.
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