Muscles of the Hindlimb (Thigh)

Hindlimb 27.3

Hindlimb 27.3

Skin

Sartorius

Gracilis

Semimembranosus proprius

Biceps femoris

Semimembranosus accessorius

Semitendinosus

Rectus femoris

Vastus lateralis

Vastus medialis

Vastus intermedius

Adductor

Quadratus femoris

Iliopsoas

Compound tensor fasciae latae (TFL)-Gluteus maximus (GM).

Gluteus Medius

Piriformis

Gluteus minimus

Obturator externus

Obturator internus

Popliteus

Gastrocnemius

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Muscle

Skin

Instructions

a. strip off the skin of the hind leg completely

b. pay attention to the ankle region: where the heel ends and the shank begins: there is a tendon that must not be disrupted [Aquiles tendon].

c. if the skin is more difficult to flay there, leave it.

d. remove the underlying subcutaneous tissue (upokeimenois umesi tô dermati).

e. Identify the limits of the muscles through their fibres (p.85, 10).

Greek text

᾽Εν μὲν οὖν τῷ πρὸ τοῦτου βιβλίῳ τὴν ἐγχείρησιν, ὁποίαν τινὰ χρή ποιεῖσθαι τῶν περὶ τὴν χεῖρα μυῶν, ὑφηγησάμην, ἐνταῦθα δὲ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ἐπὶ τῶν σκελῶν ὁ λόγος ἔσται μοι πρίν γὰρ τοὺς μῦς ἀκριβῶς ἐπιγνῶναι, νεύρων ἢ ἀγγείων ἀνατομὴν οὔτε αὐτὸν ποιήσασθαι δυνατόν, οὔτ᾽ ἄλλον διδάξαι.

(p. 83, 19-26)

χρὴ τοίνυν ἀποδεῖραι μὲν κάνταῦθα τὸ δέρμα, προσέχοντα τὸν νοῦν ἀκριβῶς τῇ πρώτῃ τοῦ πέλματος γενέσει, κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς πτέρνης τεταγμένῃ, μήπως κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ χωρίον ἀποσπάσῃς ἅμα τῷ δέρματι τὸν ὑποκείμενον αὐτῷ τένοντα, δι' οὗ, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ χειρὸς εἴρηται, πλατυνθέντος τὸ ἄτριχόν τε ἅμα καὶ δυσπερίτρεπτον ὑποβέβληται δέρμα τῷ χώλῳ. προσκείμενον οὖν ἐᾶν χρὴ κατά τὰ ὑποκείμενα σώματα τὸ δέρμα κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ χωρίον, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῆς χειρὸς εἴρηται, τὸ δ᾽ ἄλλο πᾶν ἀφαιρεῖν ὅλου τοῦ κώλου.

(p. 83, 26–p.85, 10)

τοῦτ᾽ αὐτὸ πρότερον ἐπ' αὐτοῦ μαθόντας, ὅτι πρώτους χρὴ πάντων ἀνατέμνειν τοὺς περὶ τὸν μηρὸν μῦς, ἐφεξῆς δὲ τούτων, ὁποτέρους ἂν ἐθέλης, εἴτ' οὖν τοὺς περὶ τὴν κνήμην, εἴτε τοὺς κατ' ἰσχίου, ὅσοι κινοῦσι τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ μηροῦ, καὶ σὺν αὐτῇ δηλονότι τὸν ὅλον μηρόν.

εἰ μέντοι ποτὲ δεηθείης ἀνατέμνειν ἤτοι τοὺς ἐν κνήμῃ προτέρους τῶν κατ᾽ αὐτὸν τὸν μηρόν, ἢ τοὺς κατ᾽ ἰσχίον, ἀφαιρήσεις ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς κνήμης τὰ καθήκοντα πέρατα τῶν ἐκ τοῦ μηροῦ μνῶν εἰς αὐτήν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν κατ᾽ ἰσχίον τὰς ἀνατεινομένας κεφαλὰς ὑπὲρ τὴν διάρθρωσιν. ἐξευρήσεις δὲ αὐτάς, ὡς ἐγὼ διδάξω, ῥᾳδίως, ἀπό τινων οἷον σκοπῶν ὁρμώμενος ἅπασιν ἀνθρώποις γνωρίμων. ἰγνύαν γὰρ καὶ γόνυ καὶ ἀντικνήμιον οὐδεὶς ἀγνοεῖ, τούτοις δή σε προσέχοντα τὸν νοῦν ἄρχεσθαι χρὴ τῆς ἀνατομῆς, ἀποδεδαρμένου τοῦ κώλου παντὸς ἅμα τοῖς ὑποκειμένοις ὑμέσι τῷ δέρματι· λέλεκται γάρ μοι καὶ πρόσθεν, εὐφωράτους οὕτως καὶ μάλιστα γίγνεσθαι τοὺς μῦς, περιγραφῇ γνωριζομένους, κατὰ τὰς τῶν ἰνῶν διαφοράς.

Translation

In the previous book I indicated the procedure that is needed for the muscles of the hand. In the same way, I shall now proceed with the dissection of the leg. For before observing the muscles carefully, it is neither possible to dissect vessels or nerves, nor to teach others.

Skin (p. 83, 19-26)

It is necessary to strip off the skin, paying careful attention where the sole of the foot originates, because it [the sole] extends up to the beginning of the heel, and there you must not disrupt, along with the skin, the underlying tendon, [beyond which[1] –like I said about the hand– hairless skin lays under the limb that is thick and difficult to flay]. Leave, if necessary, the skin [stuck to] the underlying bodies in this area, as I said about the hand, but strip off all the rest from all the limb.

Order of dissection (p. 83, 26–p.85, 10)

About this, you should first learn that you need to dissect all the muscles around the thigh initially, afterwards whichever you want: either the muscles of the shank, or those of the hip, which move the head of the thigh (head of the femur), and with it –naturally– the whole thigh.

If you ever need to dissect the muscles of the shank before those of the thigh, remove the ends (perata) of the muscles of the thigh that descend to the leg, if –conversely– [you need to start by the hip, remove] the heads (kephalas) that extend to the joint.

[2]

⁠

You will find them [the ends and heads of the muscles] easily –as I will teach you– by starting from a certain kind of landmarks known by everyone. Indeed, nobody is stranger to the ham, the knee or the shin. Pay attention to them, it is necessary to begin the dissection having flayed the whole limb along with the membranes that underlie the skin. I also mentioned before that in this way the muscles become easier to find once their borders (perigraphê)

[3]

⁠

are recognised through the difference in their fibres .

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[1]

⁠

I interpret dia+gen as beyond which. The grammar is complicated in this passage, however, it does make sense that beyond the heel the skin has no hairs. I think Galen is referring to the Aquiles tendon.

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[2]

⁠

Perata and kephalas seem to to refer to the distal and proximal ends of the muscles respectively.

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[3]

⁠

It seems that whilst perata and kephalê refer to the extremities of the muscles (their insertions in the bones), perigraphê alludes to their lateral borders.

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