Descripción anatómica del músculo vasto medial: ？Existe realmente el músculo vasto medial oblicuo?

the vastus medialis has been described as a muscle formed by two units. the anatomy and electrophysiology suggest a distinction between fibers proximal and distal. there are even controversy in the anatomy and the role of the vastus medialis. materials and methods: in 22 pieces we dissect the quadriceps and identify the vastus medialis. measured the angle of direction of the fibers of vastus medialis and its relationship with the medial retinaculum were made. we identify the innervations and made photographic record and were stored in a data base. results: 22 pieces of fresh cadavers age 34 in average (21-50 years) were studied. the direction of the muscular fibers in the thirds means, inferior and at level of the upper pole of the patella had an average of 28,9°, 43,6° and 54,8°, respectively. the nerve of the vastus medialis entered 14 cm on average proximal to the upper pole. it was not identified any differentiation within the muscle vastus medialis that corresponded to the vastus medialis oblique. we do not find direct insert of the vastus medialis in the patella, which means that the aponeurosis of this muscle ends inside the medial retinaculum. discussion: the results found in the orientation of the fibers are very close to those reported by lieb and perry of 45°, 56° and 56°, presenting the same increased from top to the bottom. regarding the orientation of the fibers, penetration of the muscle vastus medialis in the retinaculum and the innervations, which suggests that there are not two muscles structurally different composing the vastus medialis.