6533b827fe1ef96bd1286fba
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Case report: absence of the right piriformis muscle in a woman
Elia ScavoErich BrennerMassimiliano TripoliAdriana Cordovasubject
medicine.medical_specialtyCommon gluteal arterySettore MED/19 - Chirurgia PlasticaDeep gluteal regionPathology and Forensic MedicineSuperior gluteal nervemedicine.nerveGemellus inferior muscleAnatomical variation03 medical and health sciencesAnatomic VariationsmedicineGluteal regionHumansRadiology Nuclear Medicine and imagingMuscle Skeletal0303 health sciencesSurgical approachbusiness.industryGemellus inferior muscleAnatomyMiddle AgedPiriformis muscleSacral plexusbody regionsAnatomical landmark030301 anatomy & morphologyButtockOrthopedic surgeryButtocksFemaleSurgeryAnatomyPiriformis musclebusinessHumandescription
We report a very rare case of a unilaterally absent piriformis muscle in a 60 year old woman. Accompanying variations comprised a common gluteal artery (instead of two distinct superior and inferior gluteal arteries), and an absent gemellus inferior muscle. The contralateral left side showed a normally developed piriformis muscle. In hominoids, the piriformis is constant, but is regularly missing in several other vertebrates. The piriformis muscle is an anatomical landmark for ultrasound investigations and ultrasound-guided interventions in the deep gluteal region such as a superior gluteal nerve block or even a sacral plexus block, also for any surgical approach such as total hip arthroplasty. A missing piriformis muscle therefore affects the orientation in the deep gluteal region and therefore the identification of the targeted structures.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-10-01 | Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy |