Myotome

Myotome is a group of muscles that a single spinal nerve root innervates. The term is also used in embryology to describe that part of the somite which develops into the muscles.

Development

In the human embryo, the myotomes are formed from the mesodermal cells that originate from the epiblast. These cells migrate to the paraxial mesoderm where they form the somites. The somites further differentiate into the dermatome, sclerotome and myotome. The myotome itself splits into an epaxial part, which is innervated by the dorsal rami of the spinal nerves, and a hypaxial part, which is innervated by the ventral rami.

Clinical significance

Knowledge of myotomes can assist in diagnosing neurological conditions. A myotomal distribution of weakness is indicative of certain types of neuropathy such as radiculopathy. For example, the myotome for the arms are as follows: C5 - shoulder abduction, C6 - elbow flexion/wrist extension, C7 - elbow extension/wrist flexion, C8 - finger flexion, and T1 - finger abduction.

See also

• Dermatome (anatomy)
• Sclerotome
• Hox gene

References

Myotome Resources
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