Anatomical locations of the motor endplates of sartorius muscle for botulinum toxin injections in treatment of muscle spasticity

Surg Radiol Anat. 2021 Dec;43(12):2025-2030. doi: 10.1007/s00276-021-02813-7. Epub 2021 Aug 11.

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to detect the idyllic locations for botulinum neurotoxin injection by analyzing the intramuscular neural distributions of the sartorius muscles.

Methods: An altered Sihler's staining was conducted on sartorius muscles (15 specimens). The nerve entry points and intramuscular arborization areas were measured as a percentage of the total distance from the most prominent point of the anterior superior iliac spine (0%) to the medial femoral epicondyle (100%).

Results: Intramuscular neural distribution were densely detected at 20-40% and 60-80% for the sartorius muscles. The result suggests that the treatment of sartorius muscle spasticity requires botulinum neurotoxin injections in particular locations.

Conclusions: These locations, corresponding to the locations of maximum arborization, are suggested as the most suggestive points for botulinum neurotoxin injection.

Keywords: Botulinum neurotoxin; Sartorius muscle; Sihler’s staining; Spasticity.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Botulinum Toxins / administration & dosage*
  • Cadaver
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Injections, Intramuscular
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Motor Endplate / anatomy & histology*
  • Muscle Spasticity / drug therapy*
  • Muscle, Skeletal / anatomy & histology*
  • Muscle, Skeletal / innervation
  • Thigh / anatomy & histology
  • Thigh / innervation

Substances

  • Botulinum Toxins