Morphometry of plantaris muscle in human fetuses

Abstract

This detailed fetus study about plantaris muscle was performed to compare the measurements of adults and fetuses, and to obtain additional information about clinical procedures associated with educational anatomy dissections. The study was performed on 24 fetuses with gestational ages of 17-40 weeks and without any pathology or anomaly. The length and width of the tendineous portion and muscular belly of the plantaris muscle were measured in fetuses. M. plantaris was absent unilaterally and bilaterally in a male fetus and a female fetus, respectively. Most of the fetuses (83%) had a typical shape of plantaris muscle and its tendon. Mean length and width of the tendon were 36.35 and 0.43 mm, and 65.39 and 0.95 mm, in second and third trimesters, respectively. Mean length and width of the muscular belly were 7.48 and 2.96 mm, and 17.58 and 5.82 mm in second and third trimesters, respectively. This fetus study about plantaris muscle would bu useful in surgical interventions performed in educational anatomy dissections and related clinical procedures. © Gülhane Askeri Tıp Akademisi 2011.