title: Functional anatomy of the respiratory muscles.
abstract: To keep arterial blood gases within acceptable limits, air must be moved rhythmically in and out of the lungs. Such a displacement is accomplished through the expansion/deflation of the chest wall, which results normally from the action of a number of skeletal muscles. To understand how this vital pump works, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the anatomy and the function of these muscles.
authors.affiliation: Thoracic Diseases Research Unit, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Troyer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Estenne
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008176:Lung Volume Measurements; D012119:Respiration; D012132:Respiratory Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology