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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

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Fun Fact: Breast

Common Use Def: The breast is one of two soft, protruding organs on the upper front of a woman’s torso that secrete milk after birth.

Anatomy Def:  But, the scientific definition rightly includes male and female breasts as both are derived from the same embryonic tissue and diseases occur in the breasts of both sexes.

Outlander Def: Taming-of-the-sea organs? Or, so goes the argument posited by Captain Raines of the Artemis!

Learn about the breast in Anatomy Lesson #51 The Breast – Male and Female.

Anatomy Lesson #51 was not written to be titillating (hah).

Seriously, it was written as a public service. The incidence of breast disease is so high, it behoves one to understand breast structure and function so as to better understand prognosis, disease progression and treatment options should the need arise.

Breast anatomy also helps us understand the diseases plaguing the breast: cancer, cysts, fibrocystic changes, mastitis, gynecomastia, to name a few.

The worst: Though breast cancer in males is relatively rare, only 1 per 1000 adult males, the incidence of invasive breast cancer in US women is 1 in 8!!!

Read about the breast in Outlander books; there’s a mess of quotes to choose from! <G> This one is particularly special…  From Voyager, the reunion between Claire and A. Malcolm:

A little reluctantly, I took his hand, and stepped out of the inadequate shelter of the remains of my dress. He drew me gently in, to stand between his knees as he sat on the bed. Then he kissed me softly, once on each breast, and laid his head between them, his breath coming warm on my bare skin. “Your breast is like ivory,” he said softly, the word almost “breest” in the Highland Scots that always grew broad when he was truly moved. His hand rose to cup one breast, his fingers tanned into darkness against my own pale glow. 

See Captain Raines inform Claire that if a woman bears her breasts before a tempest, the seas will be calmed in. Huh??? Industriously chewing (tough mutton?), the Captain waxes poetic about the sailing superstition:

“After all, on this ship, your very presence is ill luck… By rights, you and Mistress MacKimmie should this moment be bare breasted! … A woman’s bare breasts calm an angry sea… The figure head at the bow, she bears her breasts for you, and prevents us being subject to any curses.”

Claire is not amused. Not on Jamie’s watch!!! 

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo Credit: Outlander ep 307, The doldrums

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Fun Fact: Depressor Anguli Oris

Anatomy def: The paired depressor anguli oris (sing. angulus) are one of many muscles of facial expression. Spanning from mandible (lower jaw) to edges of mouth, these depressors pull corners of the mouth downward, as in a frown.

Outlander def: The “frightened, angry and verra scart muscles!” Young Ian displays a fierce frown as he watches the wicked witch wriggle and writhe!!! 

Learn about depressor anguli oris in Anatomy Lesson #11,  Jamie’s Face or Ye do it Face to Face, a lesson covering muscles of facial expression.

Checkout the downturn at the corners of young Ian’s mouth – especially noticeable on his right side. This is depressor anguli oris, adding marked emphasis to his displeasure with ghastly Geillis!

Read about young Ian’s terrifying meet-and-greet with the mad Mrs. Abernathy.  Diana doesn’t describe frowning as part and parcel of their weirdly intimate encounter, but one might well imagine the corners of his mouth turning downward. Here from Voyager book , Ian explains to Uncle Jamie:

He had had little opportunity to feel homesick, though. Hercules—or Atlas—had marched him up the stairs into what was obviously Mistress Abernathy’s bedroom. Mrs. Abernathy was waiting for him, dressed in a soft, loose sort of gown with odd-looking figures embroidered round the hem of it in red and silver thread.

“I didna want to answer her, but I couldna seem to help myself. I felt verra warm, like I was fevered, and I couldna seem to move easy. But I answered all her questions, and her just sitting there, pleasant as might be, watching me close wi’ those big green eyes.”

“I knew ye’d come, Uncle Jamie,” he said, with a tremulous smile, “but ye left it a bit late, aye?” The smile widened, then broke, and he began to tremble. He blinked hard, fighting back tears.

See Ian’s depressor anguli oris muscles at work in Outlander episode 312, The Bakra. The frowning lad is grossed out after witnessing the Bakra’s goat blood bath! No sweet Mary here. Gah!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo Credit: Sony/Starz