A fibrous sheet or flat, expanded tendon, giving attachment to muscular fibers and serving as the means of origin or insertion of a flat muscle; it sometimes also performs the office of a fascia for other muscles. [G. the end of the muscle where it becomes tendon, fr. apo, from, + neuron, sinew]
- bicipital a., a. bicipitalis [TA] radiating fibers from the tendon of insertion of the biceps that form a triangular band passing obliquely across the hollow of the elbow to the ulnar side and becoming merged into the deep fascia of the forearm, thus providing the muscle with an indirect attachment to the subcutaneous border of the ulna. Formerly called “grace Dieu” fascia, it serves to protect the brachial artery and median nerve during phlebotomy of median cubital vein. SYN: a. musculi bicipitis brachii [TA], lacertus fibrosus, bicipital fascia, semilunar fascia.
- Denonvilliers a. SYN: rectovesical septum.
- epicranial a. [TA] the a. or intermediate tendon connecting the frontal belly and occipital belly of the occipitofrontalis muscle to form—with the temporoparietalis— the epicranius. SYN: galea aponeurotica [TA], a. epicranialis, galea (2).
- a. epicranialis epicranial a..
- a. of external oblique muscle broad, flat tendinous portion of the external abdominal oblique muscle. The fleshy fibers of the muscle end in the a. along a line descending vertically from the costochondral joint of the ninth rib then turning laterally just below the level of the umbilicus toward the anterior superior iliac spine. The fibers of the a. run medially and inferiorly, contributing to the anterior wall of the sheath of the rectus abdominis muscle and decussating with those of the contralateral a. at the median linea alba. Inferomedially, the a. is attached to the upper border of the pubic symphysis, the pubic crest and pubic tubercle. Between the anterior superior iliac spine and the pubic tubercle, it is thickened and turned under, forming the inguinal ligaments. The portion of the a. attached to the pubic bone forms the superficial inguinal ring by splitting into medial and lateral crura. SEE ALSO: external spermatic fascia, inguinal ligament, lacunar ligament, pectineal ligament, reflected inguinal ligament, superficial inguinal ring, rectus sheath.
- a. of internal oblique muscle broad, flat tendinous portion of the internal abdominal oblique muscle. The fleshy fibers of the muscle end in the a. lateral to the semilunar line. The uppermost portion of the a. is attached to the outer surfaces and lower borders of the seventh to ninth costal cartilages. Of the portion extending between the costoxiphoid margin and the pubis, the upper two-thirds splits into anterior and posterior laminae at the lateral border of the rectus abdominis muscle to contribute to both the anterior and posterior walls of the sheath of the rectus abdominis muscle as they extend to the midline linea alba. The lower third of the a. does not split but joins the aponeuroses of the external abdominal oblique and transversus abdominis muscles to form the anterior wall of the sheath of the rectus abdominis muscle. The fibers of the portion of the a. contributing to the rectus sheath decussate with those of the contralateral a. in the linea alba. The lowermost portion of the a. blends with the a. of the transversus abdominis muscle to form the conjoint tendon, attaching to the pubic crest and often the pecten pubis, thus forming the posterior wall of the inguinal canal at the superficial inguinal ring. SEE ALSO: cremasteric fascia, inguinal falx, rectus sheath.
- a. linguae [TA] SYN: lingual a..
- lingual a. [TA] the thickened lamina propria of the tongue to which the lingual muscles attach. SYN: a. linguae [TA].
- a. musculi bicipitis brachii [TA] SYN: bicipital a..
- a. palatina [TA] SYN: palatine a..
- palatine a. [TA] the expanded tendons of the tensor veli palatini muscles in the anterior two-thirds of the soft palate to which the other palatine muscles attach. SYN: a. palatina [TA].
- palmar a. [TA] the thickened, central portion of the fascia ensheathing the hand; it radiates toward the bases of the fingers from the tendon of the palmaris longus muscle. SEE ALSO: palmar fascia. SYN: a. palmaris [TA], Dupuytren fascia.
- a. pharyngea SYN: pharyngobasilar fascia.
- plantar a. [TA] the very thick, central portion of the fascia investing the plantar muscles; it radiates toward the toes from the medial process of the calcaneal tuberosity and gives attachment to the short flexor muscle of the toes. SEE ALSO: plantar fascia. SYN: a. plantaris [TA].
- Sibson a. SYN: suprapleural membrane.
- thoracolumbar a. SYN: thoracolumbar fascia.
- a. of vastus muscles patellar retinaculum, medial patellar retinaculum, lateral patellar retinaculum.
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apo·neu·ro·sis .ap-ə-n(y)u̇-'rō-səs n, pl -ro·ses -.sēz any of the broad flat sheets of dense fibrous collagenous connective tissue that cover, invest, and form the terminations and attachments of various muscles
apo·neu·rot·ic -'rät-ik adj
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n.
a thin but strong fibrous sheet of tissue that replaces a tendon in muscles that are flat and sheetlike and have a wide area of attachment (e.g. to bones).
• aponeurotic adj.
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ap·o·neu·ro·sis (ap″o-n
-roґsis) pl. aponeuroґses [Gr. aponeurōsis] 1. [TA] a white, flattened or ribbonlike tendinous expansion, usually serving to connect a muscle with the parts that it moves. 2. a term formerly applied to certain fasciae. aponeurotic adj
Medical dictionary. 2011.