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An anatomical study of the indirect tendon of the rectus femoris using ultrasonography

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to demonstrate that ultrasound can allow a precise assessment of the indirect tendon of the rectus femoris using a new lateral approach.

Methods and materials

Four hips were dissected for the anatomical study of the proximal rectus femoris insertions. Under ultrasonographic guidance, spinal needles piercing the direct tendon were placed in the indirect tendon, following by dissection. Then, high-resolution ultrasound was performed in 20 volunteers with assessment of the indirect tendon of the rectus femoris.

Results

At dissection, the spinal needles were located in or immediately adjacent to the indirect tendon, thus confirming that it was correctly depicted by ultrasound. The indirect tendon could be identified in each cadaver and each volunteer with ultrasound. The optimal position of the probe to allow assessment of the indirect tendon could be defined. No significant changes in the appearance or thickness of the tendon could be observed.

Conclusion

The results of our study showed that the indirect tendon of the rectus femoris muscle can be clearly depicted by sonography in healthy adult subjects. The potential applications of this new use of sonography must now be confirmed by clinical studies.

Key Points

The anatomy of the proximal rectus femoris is reviewed

Until now, sonography was limited for assessing direct and conjoined tendons

The indirect tendon can be clearly depicted by sonography

A new lateral approach for studying the indirect tendon is described

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Acknowledgments

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Pr. A. Cotten. The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies, whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article. The authors state that this work has not received any funding. No complex statistical methods were necessary for this paper. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects (volunteers) in this study. No study subjects or cohorts have been previously reported. Methodology: prospective study.

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Moraux, A., Wawer, R., Lefevbre, G. et al. An anatomical study of the indirect tendon of the rectus femoris using ultrasonography. Eur Radiol 25, 3614–3619 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-015-3769-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-015-3769-1

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