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Functions of the subregions of the infraspinatus during lateral rotation

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Abstract

Purpose

Although recent morphological studies have revealed that the infraspinatus muscle is subdivided, the functions of the subregions remain unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the functions of the infraspinatus subregions during lateral rotation using real-time tissue elastography (RTE).

Methods

Ten young male volunteers participated in the study. In addition to the infraspinatus subregions, the teres minor and two of six subregions of the supraspinatus determined by Kim were examined. The muscle stiffness of these subregions was measured in six conditions during lateral rotation, i.e., at rest and during manual muscle testing (MMT) 3 contraction at 0°, 35°, and 70° of lateral rotation.

Results

The middle and inferior subregions of the infraspinatus, teres minor, and the posterior deep supraspinatus acted as a lateral rotator. The inferior subregion of the infraspinatus was somewhat an abductor. The superior subregion of the infraspinatus was an abductor but did not contribute to the lateral rotational motion at 35° and 70° of rotation. The anterior superficial supraspinatus played an abduction role at neutral rotation but this role gradually decreased with an increasing lateral rotational angle.

Conclusions

Three subregions of the infraspinatus are functionally distinct. The superior subregion contributes to abduction, the middle subregion acts as a lateral rotator, and the inferior subregion has both functions.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Professor Akira Naito and the staff, Department of Anatomy, Yamagata University, Faculty of Medicine, for their expertise in rotator cuff morphology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Health Science, Yamagata Prefectural University of Health Science, 260 Kamiyanagi, Yamagata, 990-2212, Japan

    Yoshiki Kuwahara, Takuma Yuri, Hiromi Fujii & Yoshiro Kiyoshige

Authors
  1. Yoshiki Kuwahara
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  2. Takuma Yuri
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  3. Hiromi Fujii
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  4. Yoshiro Kiyoshige
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yoshiro Kiyoshige.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Kuwahara, Y., Yuri, T., Fujii, H. et al. Functions of the subregions of the infraspinatus during lateral rotation. Surg Radiol Anat 39, 1331–1336 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-017-1886-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-017-1886-z

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