Tag: caitriona balfe

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Fun Fact: Iliopsoas

Anatomy def: Iliopsoas muscles are flexors of the hip joints. Flexion draws together the bones of a joint thereby reducing the angle between them. 

Outlander def: Preferring the Highland Fling dismount, Claire and Jamie contract right iliopsoas muscles to hoist their right legs and skedaddle-from-the-saddle.

Learn about iliopsoas in Anatomy Lesson #7: Jamie’s Thighs – Ode to Joy!

Each iliopsoas is a composite muscle formed of iliacus and psoas. These muscles arise in the abdomen via pelvic bone and lumbar vertebrae, respectively. They descend into the thigh, unite and insert via a common tendon into the femur. 

As they contract, the thigh is raised toward the torso, or with the thigh fixed (held steady), the torso is flexed toward the thigh. We actually have nine hip flexors for each hip joint, but iliopsoas is strongest!

Fun Fact: If one is a proper anatomist (he he), psoas is more accurately termed psoas major.  Why? Because, there is a psoas minor – albeit only 25% of people have one. When present, it’s a pretty dinky muscle. It lies anterior to psoas major and contributes little to hip flexion.

And,  just so you know, the “p” in psoas is silent, so the word is pronounced “soas.”  

Read about thighs in Diana’s first splendid tome, Outlander! Does she mention iliopsoas muscle? No, but she does mention thighs. Woot! 

Claire notices Jamie’s thighs on that wild ride through the night near Cocknammon Rock:

My companion seemed to be having little trouble, in spite of being unable to use his right hand. I could feel his thighs behind mine, shifting and pressing occasionally to guide the horse. I clutched the edge of the short saddle in order to stay seated; I had been on horses before, but was by no means the horseman this Jamie was.

And, later after marriage vows have been made, Jamie recalls his thighs and praises Claire’s bottom <G>:

But then that ride through the dark together….with that lovely broad arse wedged between my thighs…

See Claire do the Highland High Kick in Starz ep. 102, Castle Leoch.  Gentleman Jamie follows suit as he dismounts to aid deceitful Geneva in Starz, ep. 304, Of Lost Things!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo credits: Sony/Starz

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Fun Fact: Deltopectoral Triangle

Anatomy Def:  The deltopectoral triangle is a groove between deltoid and pectoralis major muscles (above figure – blue arrow). 

Outlander def: That groovy depression between chest and shoulder masses. A fav spot for a Claire bliss-kiss! (check it out on yourself or a pal!)

Learn about the deltopectoral triangle and deltoid and pectoralis major muscles in Anatomy Lesson #19, To Arms, Too Arms, Two Arms!  

The deltopectoral triangle (again, blue arrow above) is important because it:

  • Contains the cephalic vein, pectoral nerves and pectoral artery (a branch of thoracoacromial trunk). All are important structures!
  • Provides surgical access to the genohumeral (shoulder) joint, sparing adjacent muscles.
  • Serves as a landmark for percutaneous infra-clavicular cannulation of the subclavian vein. Whew! No worries, it means placing a tube through the skin below the clavicle into the subclavian vein.  

BTW, the cephalic vein is that yummy vessel at the tip of the red arrow. In most folks, this vein ascends through the arm, entering the deltopectoral triangle before diving deeply to end in the subclavian vein – warning – a few folks don’t have one!

Read about Claire’s cephalic vein passing up her arm, through the triangle and heading for the subclavian vein in Outlander book. Yay, once again, Diana has provided!

“Your skin is so fine I can see the blood moving beneath it,” Jamie said, tracing the path of a sunbeam across my bare stomach. “I could follow the veins from your hand to your heart.” He drew his finger gently up my wrist to the bend of the elbow, up the inner side of my upper arm, and across the slope below my collarbone. “That’s the subclavian vein,” I remarked, looking down my nose at the path of his tracking finger. “Is it? Oh, aye, because it’s below your clavicle.

See Jamie’s deltopectoral triangle in Starz ep 313, Eye of the Storm. Claire has her eye on that triangle and the splendid vein leading to it- creates a storm for Claire, too! <G>

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo creds: Starz ep 313, Eye of the Storm