CLASSIFICATION OF

MUSCLES
CLASSIFICATION PARAMETERS

• Gross
• Histological
HISTOLOGY
PARTS OF MUSCLE
CLASSIFICATION OF SKELETAL
MUSCLE

►MORPHOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION

•Muscle with fibers parallel to line of pull.

•Muscle with fibers oblique to line of pull.

CLASSIFICATION OF STRIATED MUSCLES ACCORDING TO DIRECTION OF MUSCLE FIBRES

Parallel muscle
Muscle fibres are parallel to the line of pull. The fibres are long, but their
numbers are relatively few.
Functional characteristics: These muscles provide more range of
movement but total force of contraction is less.

Strap muscles Sartorius, rectus abdominus, sternohyoid.

Quadrate muscle Quadratus lumborum

Fusiform muscle Biceps brachii, digastric

CLASSIFICATION OF STRIATED MUSCLES ACCORDING TO DIRECTION OF MUSCLE FIBRES
Pennate muscles or oblique muscles:
Fleshy part of fibres are arranged obliquely to the line of pull.
The fibres are short and a greater number of them can be accommodated.

Unipennate muscle: All fleshy fibres slope into one side of Flexor pollicis longus, extensor
the tendon which is formed along one margin of the digitorum, peroneus tertius
muscle. This gives a half feather appearance

Bipennate muscle: Tendon is formed in the central axis of Dorsal interossei of foot and hand,
the muscle and the muscle fibres slope from the two sides rectus femoris
into the central tendon, like a feather

Multipennate muscle: A series of bipennate fibres lie side Acromial fibres of deltoid
by side in one plane
Functional characteristics: It provides for a wide range of
movements.

Circumpennate muscle Tibialis anterior.

Muscle is cylindrical with a central tendon. Oblique muscle
fibres converge into the central tendon from all sides.
Functional characteristics: Total force of contraction is
increased though the range of movement is less.
CLASSIFICATION OF STRIATED MUSCLES ACCORDING TO DIRECTION OF MUSCLE FIBRES

Spiral muscle: This type of muscle has a twisted arrangement close to

its insertion

Example: Pectoralis major, supinator.

Functional characteristics: Spiral course imparts rotational

movement.
CLASSIFICATION OF STRIATED MUSCLES ACCORDING TO DIRECTION OF MUSCLE FIBRES

Cruciate muscle:
Muscle fibres are arranged from the superficial to deep
planes in a criss cross X shaped pattern.

Example: Masseter, sternocleidomastoid.

Functional characteristic:
This arrangement increases the range of movement.
CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO
FORCE OF ACTION
1. Shunt muscles
These muscles tend to draw the bone along the line of shaft towards
the joint and compress the articular surfaces.
Example: Brachioradialis

2. Spurt muscles
A swing component tends to produce angular movement of the joint.
When the swing component is more powerful, the muscle is known as
spurt.

Example: Brachialis
SHUNT
PROXIMAL END CLOSE TO JOINT
DISTAL END AWAY FROM JOINT
SPURT
DISTAL END CLOSE TO JOINT
PROXIMAL END AWAY FROM JOINT
MUSCLE WITH FIBERS PARALLEL TO LINE
OF PULL
MUSCLE WITH FIBERS OBLIQUE TO LINE OF
PULL
CLASSIFICATION OF SKELETAL
MUSCLE
►FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION
•Agonist. (Prime Movers)
•Antagonist.
•Synergist.
•Fixator.