The Latin in Muscle Names can be Helpful?

The other day, a client asked me how is it that I can remember the muscle names so easily.  I started explaining how I had been studying anatomy forever, and with practice these names start to come easier, but then I remembered something.  My very first anatomy teacher while staring at a group of nineteen-year-old college students, once said, “Remembering the names of muscles is easy.” Of course our angst-ridden response was probably, “Maybe for you.” But then she went on to explain something.  Each muscle name is descriptive.  The muscle names most often do one or two of the following things:

1.     Describe the shape of the muscle

2.     Describe the consistency of the muscle

3.     Describe the function of the muscle

4.     Describe the location of the muscle

And with that she went on to say remembering these four rules will make learning the musculo- skeletal anatomy easy because each name is a pneumonic device.  I was a very skeptical nineteen-year-old, so much so that until the day my client asked me how I remembered the muscle names, I had blocked out this learning process entirely.  But the memory has come back and I now realize that every time someone says Quadratus Lumborum, I automatically think “Square muscle next to the Lumbar spine” or if somebody says Adductor Magnus, I automatically think, “The really big one.”  First of all my professor of so many years ago was absolutely right, and she was such a great teacher that it was years before I realized exactly how much she taught me.  So here’s a shout out to Professor Dee Forrest at Western Wyoming College, because in the publish or perish world of universities, I want to honor a professor that was also a great teacher. 

The following is a list of the Latin Pneumonics that have been burned into my brain…For the Latin experts out there, I have never ever taken a Latin class; so if there are any inaccuracies please except my apologies.  That’s the best thing about pneumonic devices they help me remember the muscles whether the Latin is accurate or not.  At nineteen I learned a great way to remember muscle names and at thirty one after quite a few years in practice, I learned an even better way to think about muscular relationships, and that will be the subject of next week's post!  Stay Tuned!   

Muscle names that describe the shape of the muscle: Often the shape and the location go together so some of these names have both a shape and a location descriptor.  (I found a few pictures to show some of the shapes)

Quadratus Lumborum: Square muscle next to the lumbar spine

Quadratus Femoris: Square muscle close to the femur

Gluteus Maximus: The big glute

Gluteus Medius: The medium glute  

Gluteus Minimus: The little glute

Rectus Femoris: up and down the femur (thigh)

Rectus Abdominis: up and down the abdomin

Triceps: Three heads

Trapezius: Trapezoid

Serratus Anterior:  Serrated muscle in front

Serratus Posterior: Serrated muscle in back

Muscle names that describe the consistency of the muscle

Semi-tendonosis: tendon like muscle

Semi-Membranosis: muscle that is gooey like a membrane

Gracilis: muscle like gristle

Muscle names that describe the function of the muscle

Erector Spinae: Muscle that keeps spine erect

Multifidi: Multifunction muscle of the spine

Rotares: rotates the spine

Flexor Hallucis Longus: Flexes the big toe (its also long)

Extensor Hallucis Longus: Extends the big toe

Flexor Digitorum Longus: Flexes the other toes

Extensor Digitorum Longus: Extends the other toes

Adductor Longus: Adducts leg

Adductor Brevis: Adducts leg

Muscles that describe the Location of the muscle

Tibialis Anterior: Muscle in front of the Tibia

Tibialis Posterior: Muscle in back of the Tibia

Biceps Femoris: Two headed muscle on the femur

Biceps Brachii: Two headed muscle on the arm