RT Journal Article
T1 Palpation and Ultrasonography Reveal an Ignored Function of the Inferior Belly of Omohyoid: A Case Series and a Proof-of-Concept Study
A1 Canoso, Juan J.
A1 Alvarez Nemegyei, José
A1 Naredo, Esperanza
A1 Murillo González, Jorge Alfonso
A1 Mérida Velasco, José Ramón
A1 Hernández Díaz, Cristina
A1 Olivas Vergara, Otto
A1 Alvarez Acosta, José Guillermo
A1 Navarro Zarza, José Eduardo
A1 Kalish, Robert A.
AB 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.
PB MDPI
SN 2075-4418
YR 2023
FD 2023-09-20
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/102517
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/102517
LA eng
NO Canoso JJ, Alvarez Nemegyei J, Naredo E, Murillo González J, Mérida Velasco JR, Hernández Díaz C, Olivas Vergara O, Alvarez Acosta JG, Navarro Zarza JE, Kalish RA. Palpation and Ultrasonography Reveal an Ignored Function of the Inferior Belly of Omohyoid: A Case Series and a Proof-of-Concept Study. Diagnostics (Basel). 2023 Sep 20;13(18):3004.
NO Instituto de Salud Carlos III
NO Research Committee of the American British Cowdray (ABC) Medical Center (Mexico City)
NO Jiménez Díaz Foundation Ethics Committee
DS Docta Complutense
RD 6 abr 2025