Talk:Aponeurosis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, now in the public domain.

[edit] Definition of Aponeurosis

I'm no expert but shouldn't the definition above include the fact that an aponeuroses can exists as a broad, flat tendon that may serve as either the origin or insertion of a flat muscle? The current definition seems to indicate aponeuroses only separates muscles from each other. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bluepattern (talk • contribs) 19:06, 12 October 2007 (UTC)

The covering of a muscle is usually called the epimysium. Aponeurosis is more related to tendon, as its name suggests. Scientifically, the aponeurosis seems to be considered as a continuation of the tendons. Often over the surface of the muscle, but in some instances, such as the anterior aponeurosis of the soleus muscle, it lies roughly in the middle of the muscle (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16453292). These arrangements are because many muscles are composed of a 'pinnate' arrangement of muscle fibers. (pinnate - pinna - feather-like) Muscle fibers are arranged at an angle to the long axis of the muscle and attach directly to aponeuroses. Thus aponeuroses are considered to be force-transmitting structures rather than simply a tissue covering the muscle. Not sure if it should be included here, but the pinnate arrangements confers interesting mechanical properties on the muscle, some of which are poorly understood. One is that the tendon/aponeurosis move a greater distance along the muscle axis than the muscle fibers shorten, thus amplifying the muscle fiber length change (www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/105/5/1745). Willing to attempt edits if these comments seem appropriate. This is my first attempt here, so help/encouragement would be appreciated. QuietJohn (talk) 20:46, 8 May 2008 (UTC) QuietJohn

[edit] Palmar Aponeurosis

Is this relevant? "...are referred to in the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey–Maturin series of books." I don't think this section should be here if that is going to be the only content. Mbarden 16:01, 24 May 2007 (UTC)