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Palpation and Ultrasonography Reveal an Ignored Function of the Inferior Belly of Omohyoid: A Case Series and a Proof-of-Concept Study

Authors :
Juan J. Canoso
José Alvarez Nemegyei
Esperanza Naredo
Jorge Murillo González
José Ramón Mérida Velasco
Cristina Hernández Díaz
Otto Olivas Vergara
José Guillermo Alvarez Acosta
José Eduardo Navarro Zarza
Robert A. Kalish
Source :
Diagnostics, Vol 13, Iss 18, p 3004 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2023.

Abstract

Background: Palpation, a traditional haptic ability, is used daily by practitioners of all medical and surgical specialties to assess patients. In the current study, one of the authors, in a routine clinical setting, was able to deduce the dynamic features of the putative inferior belly of omohyoid. This led to a proof-of-concept study that yielded results consistent with the clinical findings. Methods: The first part of the study involved a survey of 300 rheumatic disease patients in whom the greater supraclavicular fossa was explored by palpation. While the patient kept the head straight, the clinician placed his middle three fingers 2.5–3 cm dorsal to the clavicle in the window between the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius clavicular insertions, explored the supraclavicular fossa, and palpated the paired contractile inferior belly of the assumed omohyoid during flexion in the three orthogonal planes. In the second part of the study, five normal subjects were examined in a similar manner by the same clinician and had independent ultrasonography performed on the dominant side. Descriptive statistics were used, and Yates’ corrected chi-squared test was applied to certain nominal variables. Additionally, a comparative anterolateral bilateral neck dissection was performed in a cadaveric specimen. Results: Both studies showed that the contractile structure was the inferior belly of omohyoid and that its contraction occurred during anterior neck flexion and was opposite to the side of neck rotation, resembling the sternocleidomastoid. Conclusions: Palpation uncovered a previously unknown function of the inferior belly of omohyoid, suggesting that physical examination of the musculoskeletal system based on palpation may lead to hypotheses worthy of exploration.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20754418
Volume :
13
Issue :
18
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Diagnostics
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.0d8a379cdf4cc6acd185fb9ef5d5bd
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13183004