Anatomy Atlases: Illustrated Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation: Opus I: Muscular System: Alphabetical Listing of Muscles: S: Semimembranosus

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Illustrated Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation: Opus I: Muscular System: Alphabetical Listing of Muscles: S

Semimembranosus

Ronald A. Bergman, PhD
Adel K. Afifi, MD, MS
Ryosuke Miyauchi, MD
Peer Review Status: Internally Peer Reviewed

Reduction and complete absence of the semimembranosus have been recorded. It may be doubled or split along its length. The scond belly may have the form of a small fleshy slip with proximal and distal tendons, or it may be inserted in various ways. In one case, it was attached by one slip to the main tendon, with a larger slip to the oblique popliteal ligament and a delicate reflected slip inserted onto the medial supracondylar ridge. Sometimes the tendon joins that of the adductor magnus.

The muscle may consist of up to four bellies with the extra bellies and their tendons inserting into the adductor magnus, onto the planum popliteum and tibia. Partial fusion with the semitendinosus is mentioned in the listing for that muscle. As in the case of the other hamstrings, extension of the proximal attachments to the coccyx has been reported.

Syn.: m. Halbhäutiger Muskel, Demi-membraneux.

References

Cave, A.J.E. and C.J. Porteus. (1959) A note on the semimembranosus muscle. Ann. Roy. College Surg., England. 24:251-256.

Gilis, P. (1895) Anomalie et absence re'elle du muscle demi-membraneaux sur le même subjet. Soc. Biol., Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Sèances et Mémoires 47:642-644.

Gray, D.J. (1945) Some anomalous hamstring muscles. Anat. Rec. 91:33-38.

Gruber, W. (1886) Musculus semimembranosus mit zwei bis vier Bäuchen. Arch. Path Anat. Physiol. Klin. Med. 103:480-483..

Gruber, W. (1886) Vollständiger Mangel des Musculus semimembranosus an der einen Seite und rudimentäres Vorkommen an der anderen Seite. Arch. Path. Anat. Physiol. Klin. Med. 103:483-484.

LeDouble, A.F. (1895) Traitédes Variations du Système Musculaire de l'Homme et Leur Signification au Point de Vue de l'Anthropologie Zoologique. Libraire C. Reinwald, Schleicher Freres, Paris.

Macalister, A. (1875) Obervations on muscular anomalies in the human anatomy. Third series with a catalogue of the principal muscular variations hitherto published. Trans. Roy. Irish Acad. Sci. 25:1-130.

Testut, L. Les Anomalies Musculaires Chez l'Homme Expliques par l'Anatomie Comparée. Masson, Paris.

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