Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/296580
I t p a y s t o b e A B M P C e r t i f i e d : w w w. a b m p . c o m / g o / c e r t i f i e d c e n t r a l 91 Then with perimysium we bundle the fibers into fascicles. We wrap the entire muscle in epimysium. And finish by coating the entire leg in fascia profunda. First, we sheath each muscle fiber with endomysium. STORY 4 FASCIA AND MUSCLE FIBERS A common storyline involves a muscle belly attaching to a bone, crossing a joint, and connecting to another bone. There's only one problem with this tale: skeletal muscle tissue can't attach to bone; it needs a connective tissue middleman. Enter fascia. Muscle cells, also known as muscle fibers, are elongated tubes possessing incredible movement potential. Yet, without the supportive, organized wrapping offered by fascial tissues, they couldn't generate a lick of useful motion. This inseparable pairing leads some to call a "muscle" a myofascial unit. Let's take a moment to quickly build one—specifically, the rectus femoris. First, we'll roll up a muscle fiber onto a sheet of fascia (endomysium) (a). Then we'll repeat this process a dozen times, bundling the fibers into fascicles with perimysium (b). At either end, we'll bundle up the extra fascial material to form two tendons and sheathe the entire belly in epimysium (c). Finally, we'll wrap the entire lower appendage in fascia profunda (deep fascia) (d). Although dramatically oversimplified, this—in a nutshell—is the myofascial unit that is your rectus femoris. What's so fascinating about these multiple layers of fascia is that—although we've separated them here for construction purposes—they're all one entity. You might be able to tease them apart with your mind, but don't try it with a scalpel. a b c d