Anatomical research : misconceptions and opportunities

• Published in: Sultan Qaboos University medical journal 2017-02, Vol.17 (1), p.1-2
• Main Author: Habbal, Omar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anatomy - education; Anatomy - trends; Biomedical Research - education; Biomedical Research - trends; Blood Vessels - abnormalities; Comment; Dictionaries; Dissection - education; Dissection - trends; Female; Funding; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Morphology; Muscle, Skeletal - abnormalities; Muscle, Skeletal - innervation; Observation; Research Design; Research Personnel - education; Thrombosis; Veins & arteries; التشريح
• ISSN: 2075-051X; 2075-0528
• DOI: 10.18295/squmj.2016.17.01.001

Murugan et al. reported an anomalous sternothyroid muscle characterised by a lateral belly which passed between the internal jugular vein and internal carotid artery and between the glossopharyngeal and hypoglossal nerves to the site of insertion.5 In this case, ossified tissue had also bridged over the right sigmoid sulcus, thus compressing the sigmoid sinus.5 This anomalous belly could potentially lead to the development of Collet-Sicard syndrome secondary to internal jugular vein thrombosis, unilateral palsy of the involved nerves or idiopathic epileptic seizures due to impaired cerebral venous drainage into the internal jugular vein.11 Another report of an anomalous anatomical variation described an additional accessory duct of the right submandibular gland; the anomalous duct drained into the floor of the mouth, while the main duct followed the normal anatomical pathway and drained at the top of the papilla.6 Recognising the presence of an anomalous duct is important in diagnosing and treating diseases of the salivary gland and to avoid iatrogenic injuries to these ducts during surgery.12 Bhat et al. reported a case whereby the flexor carpi radialis muscle originated from a lateral slip of bicipital aponeurosis and the median cubital vein was located deep to the two slips of the aponeurosis.7 This vein is commonly accessed for medical procedures ranging from simple venepuncture for routine blood collection to the formation of arteriovenous fistulae and the insertion of cardiac catheters; as such, a median cubital vein located deep to the aponeurosis can pose difficulties for practitioners who wish to access this vein.13 Raza et al. reported a case in which the musculocutaneous nerve was found to be absent during a routine dissection session.8 The median nerve innervated all of the flexor muscles of the forearm, except for the coracobrachialis muscle, and branched into the lateral cutaneous nerve of the left forearm. The coracobrachialis muscle was innervated by a branch of the lateral root of the median nerve.8 Such anatomical variations may present atypically in patients who suffer from paralysis after trauma to the median nerve and pose a challenge when regional anaesthesia is required.14 Deshmukh et al. reported another anatomical anomaly in that the obturator artery originated from the superior gluteal artery in a female cadaver.9 According to a study conducted by Rajive et al., this anomaly was observed in 2% out of 50 cadavers.15 However, in the