title: Musculus sartorius bicaudatus.
abstract: While dissecting 88 lower limbs, a distal division of the sartorius muscle was detected in one of the specimens. The larger posteromedial portion was found to take a normal course to the so-called superficial pes anserinus. The thinner anterolateral portion attached to the medial meniscus anteromedially. The smaller anterolateral part approached the medial meniscus anteromedially, pushing the synovial membrane into the joint. Its meniscal attachment ensures that the medial meniscus is stabilized in its primary position during bending and external rotation in the knee joint, thus preventing its herniation or injury during sudden extension. The accessory part of the sartorius muscle thus acts as a protector of the medial meniscus.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Anatomy, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melling
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zweymüller
mesh_terms: D002102:Cadaver; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology*