CLASSIFICATION OF SKELETAL

MUSCLES

DR RAHAT BANO SIDDIQUI

CLASSIFICATION OF SKELETAL MUSCLES
1. According to Relative Color
• Red Skeletal Muscles
• White Skeletal Muscles
2. According to Arrangement of Muscle Fibers
• Skeletal muscles with parallelly arranged muscle fibers
• Skeletal muscles with obliquely arranged muscle fibers
3. According to Region/Location
• Muscles of upper limb
• Muscles of lower limb
• Muscles of trunk
4. According to Action
• Prime movers
• Antagonists
• Fixators
• Synergists
According to Relative Color
According to Relative Color
2. ACCORDING TO ARRANGEMENT OF
MUSCLE FIBERS
1. Skeletal muscles with parallelly arranged muscle fibres
a)Quadrilateral muscles
b)Fusiform muscles
c)Strap/ribbon like muscles
2. Skeletal muscles with obliquely arranged muscle fibers
• Pennate muscles
a)Unipennate muscles
b)Bipennate muscles
c)Multipennate muscles
• Fan shaped/convergent muscles
• Circular/sphincteral muscles
• Multiheaded/multibellied muscles
• Spiral muscles
• Cruciate muscles
• Radial muscles
Skeletal muscles with PARALLELLY arranged muscle fibers

• a)Quadrilateral muscles

The muscle cells are arranged in

parallel manner producing a
flat quadrangular muscle
mass

e.g: Hyoglossal muscle of the

tongue
Gluteus maximus
• b)Fusiform muscles

• The muscle cells are arranged

in parallel manner producing
a spindle shaped muscle
mass

e.g:
• Biceps brachii muscle
• Palmaris longus
c) Strap/ribbon like
muscles

• The muscle cells are

arranged in parallel
manner producing a
ribbon or strap like
appearance

e.g:
• Sartorius
• Rectus abdominis
• Infrahyoid muscles
Skeletal muscles with OBLIQUELY arranged muscle
fibres

1. Pennate muscles
a)Unipennate muscles
b)Bipennate muscles
c)Multipennate muscles
2. Fan shaped/convergent muscles
3. Circular/sphincteral muscles
4. Multiheaded/multibellied muscles
5. Spiral muscles
6. Cruciate muscles
7.Radial muscles
1. Pennate Muscles
• Muscles fibers are diagonal to the long axis of the
muscle
• Great strength of contraction than the parallel muscle
fibers
a) Unipennate muscles
b) Bipennate muscles
c) Multipennate muscles
Unipennate Muscles / Semipennate
Muscles

• Resemble half feather

• Tendon forms the long axis of pull
• Muscle fibers are attached to one
side of the tendon
• E.g
• Flexor pollicis longus
• Tibialis posterior
Bipennate Muscles

• Resemble complete feather

• Tendon is placed centrally
• Muscle fibers are attached to
both sides of the tendon
• E.g
• Rectus femoris
• Dorsal introssei
Multipennate Muscles

• Series of pennate masses side by

side
• Situated : Limited mobility =
Power
• Muscle fibers are attached to
both sides of the tendon
• E.g
• Deltoid muscle
• Subscapularis
Skeletal muscles with obliquely
arranged muscle fibers
1. Pennate muscles
a)Unipennate muscles
b)Bipennate muscles
c)Multipennate muscles
2. Fan shaped/convergent muscles
3. Circular/sphincteral muscles
4. Multiheaded/multibellied muscles
5. Spiral muscles
6. Cruciate muscles
7. Radial muscles
2. Fan shaped/convergent muscles

• In these muscles
• Fascicles are converging
on the top of a tendon in
such a manner that
these resemble a foreign
fan
• E.g
• Temporalis
• Pectoralis Major
Skeletal muscles with obliquely
arranged muscle fibers
1.Pennate muscles
a)Unipennate muscles
b)Bipennate muscles
c)Multipennate muscles
2. Fan shaped/convergent muscles
3. Circular/sphincteral muscles
4. Multiheaded/multibellied muscles
5. Spiral muscles
6. Cruciate muscles
7. Radial muscles
3. Circular/sphincteral muscles

• In these muscles
• Fascicles are arranged in
circular pattern to form
sphincters
• E.g
• Orbicularis oris
• Orbicularis oculi

Orbicularis oris
Orbicularis oculi
Skeletal muscles with obliquely
arranged muscle fibres
1. Pennate muscles
a)Unipennate muscles
b)Bipennate muscles
c)Multipennate muscles
2. Fan shaped/convergent muscles
3. Circular/sphincteral muscles
4. Multiheaded/multibellied muscles
5. Spiral muscles
6. Cruciate muscles
7. Radial muscles
4. Multiheaded/multibellied muscles
Skeletal muscles with obliquely
arranged muscle fibres
1.Pennate muscles
a)Unipennate muscles
b)Bipennate muscles
c)Multipennate muscles
2. Fan shaped/convergent muscles
3. Circular/sphincteral muscles
4. Multiheaded/multibellied muscles
5. Spiral muscles
6. Cruciate muscles
7. Radial muscles
5. Spiral muscles

• In these muscles
• Fascicles are spirally
arranged and twisting
may be seen
• E.g
• Trapezius
Skeletal muscles with obliquely
arranged muscle fibres
1.Pennate muscles
a)Unipennate muscles
b)Bipennate muscles
c)Multipennate muscles
2. Fan shaped/convergent muscles
3. Circular/sphincteral muscles
4. Multiheaded/multibellied muscles
5. Spiral muscles
6. Cruciate muscles
7. Radial muscles
 6. Cruciate muscles

• Modified form of spiral muscles

• In these muscles
• Fascicles twist & spiral in
such a manner that they give
rise to cruciate or criss-cross
appearance
• E.g
• Masseter
• Sternocleidomastoid
Skeletal muscles with obliquely
arranged muscle fibres
1. Pennate muscles
a)Unipennate muscles
b)Bipennate muscles
c)Multipennate muscles
2. Fan shaped/convergent muscles
3. Circular/sphincteral muscles
4. Multiheaded/multibellied muscles
5. Spiral muscles
6. Cruciate muscles
7. Radial muscles
7. Radial muscles

• In these muscles
• Fascicles are converging
on central tendon
• E.g
• Tibialis Anterior
Classification
3. According to region/location

• Muscles of upper limb

• Muscles of lower limb
• Muscles of trunk
Classification
4. According to action

• Prime movers
• Antagonists
• Fixators
• Synergists
Prime movers fixators antagonist