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Anatomical basis of the role of vastus medialis muscle in femoro-patellar degenerative arthropathy

Bases anatomiques du rôle du muscle vaste médial dans la genèse d'arthropathie dégénérative fémoro-patellaire

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Abstract

In order to evaluate the femoro-patellar syndrome, more especially to better define the vastus medialis / vastus lateralis imbalance, we performed 44 anterior thigh region examinations in dissecting room subjects. Vastus medialis morphological aspect was always found regular without definite separation. One the other hand we found two innervation possibilities: either only one nerve pedicle from femoral nerve, associated with cartilage degeneration (arthrosis) located on the patella lateral facet, or two pedicles from femoral nerve, associated with either no arthrosis, or diffuse cartilage degeneration. The innervation mode seems to be determinant to explain the two functions of vastus medialis (knee extension and patellar alignment).

Résumé

Dans le but d'une meilleure compréhension du syndrome fémoropatellaire, notamment d'une définition du deséquilibre vaste médial / vaste latéral, nous avons disséqué 44 régions antérieures de cuisse de sujets anatomiques. L'aspect morphologique du muscle a toujours été retrouvé uniforme, sans plan de clivage. L'innervation du muscle peut être de deux types : soit un seul pédicule nerveux issue du nerf fémoral, associé alors à des lésions d'arthrose fémoro-patellaire latérale ; soit deux pédicules nerveux issus du nerf fémoral, associés soit le plus souvent à l'absence de lésion arthrosique, ou à des lésions diffuses. Le mode d'innervation nous semble donc déterminant pour expliquer le rôle double du m. vaste médial (extension du genou et médialisation de la patella).

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Galtier, B., Buillot, M. & Vanneuville, G. Anatomical basis of the role of vastus medialis muscle in femoro-patellar degenerative arthropathy. Surg Radiol Anat 17, 7–11 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01629491

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