title: Morphometric variability of pyramidalis muscle and its clinical significance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of the study is to analyze the morphometric diversity of the pyramidalis muscle (PM) and to evaluate how it is affected by gender and side of occurrence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-six (50 male and 46 female) formalin-embalmed Greek cadavers were dissected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PM was present in 93.8 %, usually bilaterally (79.2 %) than unilaterally (14.6 %) (p = 0.003) and more frequently in females (91.3 %) than in males (68 %) (p = 0.0001). Side symmetry was detected. The mean length of PM in males and females was 8.37 ± 2.80 and 6.18 ± 1.64 cm on the right and 7.50 ± 2.66 and 6.56 ± 1.68 cm on the left side. Male predominance existed on the right and left-sided PM lengths (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.054). The mean width of the right-sided PMs in males and females was 1.61 ± 0.55 and 1.50 ± 0.44 cm and the left-sided 1.56 ± 0.53 and 1.55 ± 0.38 cm without gender dimorphism. The positive correlation between the PM length and width indicates a symmetrical muscle augmentation on the two dimensions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study demonstrates that the PM is almost constant in Greeks. Among populations the muscle morphometric variability, its clinical significance and its variable uses will help surgeons when intervening in the lower abdominal wall.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Post Box 300, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Natsis
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, M. Asias 75, 11527, Athens, Greece. mapian@med.uoa.gr.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piagkou
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, M. Asias 75, 11527, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Elpida
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Repousi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Post Box 300, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Stylianos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Apostolidis
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, M. Asias 75, 11527, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kotsiomitis
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, M. Asias 75, 11527, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Apostolou
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, M. Asias 75, 11527, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Panajiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Skandalakis
mesh_terms: D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D063405:Anatomic Variation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Myocutaneous defects; Pyramidalis muscle; Rectus sheath