| Abstract: | A detailed gross anatomical study of the innervation of the respiratory muscles was made on twenty mature, male, Single Comb White Leghorn chickens. The aim was to demonstrate the general pattern and degree of terminal branching of the intercostal and lumbar nerves that innervate respiratory muscles. The point of entry for all nerves was on the medial face of the proximal third of the belly of the muscles, except for the transversus abdominis and costopulmonary muscles. The nerves were not always accompanied by blood vessels at the point of entry but both were invariably related at their terminal branches within the muscle belly and the tendon or aponeurosis. Within the muscle, primary, secondary, tertiary, and quarternary subdivisions of nerves coursed parallel to the muscle fibers, but some were tortuous. Plexus formation and/or segmental nerve anastomosis was most evident in strongly active expiratory and inspiratory muscles, i.e., all abdominal muscles and the m. costisternalis pars major. A craniocaudal gradient in the size and development of the contractile mass of the intercostal muscles was observed. The mm. intercostales interni increased in size in the caudal intercostal spaces, while the reverse was true for the mm. intercostales externi. Variable forms and sizes of lateroventral abdominal muscles were observed and the m. rectus abdominis was consistently present. The mm. intercostales interni and externi received branches from both the nn. intercostales interni and externi. |
