Musculoskeletal Muscles of the Chest and Abdominal Wall

AY 2019-2020 Dr. Paredes

Module 2 8/29/19

LEARNING OBJECTIVES CHEST WALL MUSCLES

• List the chest muscles
• List the abdominal wall muscles Chest/Thoracic Wall
provides protection to vital organs
• Describe the attachments of the above mentioned
o heart and major vessels, lungs, liver
muscles and their nerve supply
provides stability for movement of the shoulder girdles and
• Discuss the role of the chest and abdominal wall upper arms.
muscles although the thoracic skeleton consists of rigid bones and
• Describe the rectus sheath and its contents cartilage, its interconnection with the muscular
components forms for a dynamic structure that is able to
expand during inspiration, thereby increasing intrathoracic
volume and allowing for maximal breaths to take place.

Diaphragm – main muscle for respiration

STERNUM

Figure 2. Thoracic wall and abdominal cavity

Figure 1. Anatomy and Attachments of Sternum

Directly overlies and affords protection for mediastinal
viscera in general and much of the heart in particular.

Contains 3 Parts:
o Manubrium
o Body
o Xiphoid Figure 3. Muscles of The Chest
Costochondritis
o costo – ribs; chondro – cartilage; itis –
inflammation
o is an inflammation of the cartilage in the rib
cage

M2L6 Justiniano, Urriza, Valdez Transhead: The Amazing Dolor 1 of 4

Chest Muscles

Muscle Origin Insertion Innervation Action

With 1st rib fixed,
External they raise ribs
Intercostal Muscle during inspiration
Inferior Border of Superior border of
(fibers pass Intercostal Nerves and thus increase
Rib below rib below
downward and anteroposterior and
forward) transverse dm of
thorax

Internal Intercostal With last rib fixed by

Muscle (fibers Superior border of abdominal muscles,
Inferior border of rib Intercostal nerves
pass downward rib below they lower ribs
and backward) during expiration

Adducts arm and

Clavicle, sternum, Medial and lateral
Lateral lip of bicipital rotates it medially;
Pectoralis Major and upper six costal pectoral nerves from
groove of humerus clavicular fibers also
cartilages brachial plexus
flex arms

Depresses point of
Medial pectoral shoulder; if the
Coracoid process of
Pectoralis Minor 3rd, 4th, and 5th ribs scapula
nerve from brachial scapula is fixed, it
plexus elevates the ribs of
origin

Depresses the
clavicle and
Nerve to subclavius
steadies this bone
Subclavius 1st costal cartilage Clavicle form upper trunk of
during movements
brachial plexus
of the shoulder
girdle

Draws the forward

Medial border and anterior around the
Serratus Anterior Upper eight ribs inferior angle of Long thoracic nerve thoracic wall;
scapula upwardly rotates
scapula
Table 1. Muscles of the Chest

ABDOMINAL WALL MUSCLES

Provides a durable and flexible covering to prevent the

abdominal viscera from leaving the abdominal cavity
Protects internal abdominal organs from trauma/injury
Maintains the anatomical position of the abdominal organs
Assists expiration by pushing the abdominal organs
towards the diaphragm
Assists in coughing and vomiting by increasing intra-
abdominal pressure

Figure 4. Abdominal Wall Muscles

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 Abdominal Wall Muscles

Muscle Origin Insertion Innervation Action

Compresses and
Linea alba, pubic supports
Ventral rami of six
External surfaces of tubercle, abdominal
External oblique inferior thoracic
ribs 5-12 anterior half of viscera, flexes
nerves
iliac crest and rotates
trunk

Compresses and
Thoracolumbar
Inferior borders of Ventral rami of six supports
fascia, anterior
ribs 10–12, linea inferior thoracic abdominal
Internal oblique 2/3 of iliac crest,
alba, pubis via and first lumbar viscera, flexes
lateral half of
conjoint tendon nerves and rotates
inguinal ligament
trunk

Body of pubis,
anterior to
Pyramidalis Linea alba Iliohypogastric nerve Tenses linea alba
rectus
abdominis

Flexes trunk,
Xiphoid process, Ventral rami of six
Pubic symphysis, compresses
Rectus abdominis costal cartilages inferior thoracic
pubic crest abdominal
5–7 nerves
viscera

Internal surfaces of
costal cartilages Linea alba with
7–12, aponeurosis of Ventral rami of six Compresses and
Transversus thoracolumbar internal oblique, inferior thoracic supports
abdominis fascia, iliac pubic crest, and and first lumbar abdominal
crest, lateral pecten pubis via nerves viscera
third of inguinal conjoint tendon
ligament
Table 2. Muscles of the Abdominal Wall

RECTUS ABDOMINIS AND ITS CONTENTS

oblique splits to enclose the rectus muscle; the

A multilayered aponeurosis and a fibrous sheath of dense external oblique aponeurosis is directed in front of the
regular connective tissue muscle, and the transversus aponeurosis is directed
Doesn’t completely enclose its contents behind the muscle
Covers the anterior and posterior surfaces of the upper 3. Between the level of the anterosuperior iliac spine and the
three-quarters of the rectus abdominis muscle, and the pubis, the aponeuroses of all three muscles form the
lower quarter of its anterior surface anterior wall. The posterior wall is absent, and the
The lower quarter of the posterior surface of the rectus rectus muscle lies in contact with the fascia
abdominis muscle isn’t covered with rectus sheath at all, transversalis.
but rather lays directly on the transversalis fascia
Protection of anterior abdominal muscles and vessels-
provides maximal compression and support of abdominal Arcuate line
organs - The inferior epigastric vessels enter the rectus
Long fibrous sheath that encloses the rectus abdominis sheath and pass upward to anastomose with
muscle and pyramidalis muscle the superior epigastric vessels.
Contains the anterior rami of the lower six thoracic Linea alba
nerves and the superior and inferior epigastric vessels - A fibrous band that separates the rectus sheath
and lymph vessels from its fellow on the opposite side
Formed mainly by the aponeuroses of the three lateral - This extends from the xiphoid process down to
abdominal muscles the symphysis pubis and is formed by the
fusion of the aponeuroses of the lateral
muscles of the two sides.
Three levels: The posterior wall of the rectus sheath is not attached to
1. Above the costal margin, the anterior wall is formed by the the rectus abdominis muscle.
aponeurosis of the external oblique. The posterior The anterior wall is firmly attached to it by the muscle’s
wall is formed by the thoracic wall (5th, 6th, and 7th tendinous intersections
costal cartilage, and the intercostal spaces)
2. Between the costal margin and the level of the anterior
superior iliac spine, the aponeurosis of the internal

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 Figure 5. Rectus Sheath Layers

REFERENCES

• Moore Clinically Oriented Anatomy 8th Edition

• Snell Clinical Anatomy by Regions

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