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The morphology of the human lumbar multifidus
J E Macintosh1, F Valencia, N Bogduk
1Department of Anatomy, University of Queensland, St Lucia 4067, Australia.
Abstract:
Dissection studies revealed that the fibres of the lumbar multifidus are divided by distinct cleavage planes into five bands. Each band arises from a lumbar spinous process, and is innervated unisegmentally. The lumbar multifidus is therefore composed of five myotomes arranged such that the fibres that move a particular segment are innervated by the nerve of that segment. Target points are described that enable electromyography to be performed on paraspinal muscles of known unisegmental innervation.
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