Correction of morpheme OMO in anatomical terminology. Bibliographic review

Abstract

Introduction: The International Anatomical Terminology (IAT) has compiled and standardized the anatomical terms for their unequivocal use, but sometimes these standards are not fully met. Among the existing inconsistencies is the use of “scapula” or “shoulder blade”.

Objective: to analyze the terms in which the morpheme "omo" has been used erroneously, and to suggest the appropriate terminology.

Methodology: the words containing the morpheme "omo" were looked up in the IAT. The meaning of "scapula" and "omóblado" was consulted in Latin, Greek, and medical dictionaries.

Results: the terms “scapula”, from Latin, and “omóplato”, from Greek, are translated into Spanish as ‘hombro’ (shoulder). In Spanish medical dictionaries, "escápula" is etymologically defined as ‘upper part of the back’; and "omóplato", as ‘flat part of the shoulder’. In the IAT, the following terms were identified: “M. omohioideo”, “triángulo omoclavicular”, “triángulo omotraqueal” and “ganglio yugulo-omohioideo”.

Discussion: the correct anatomical term is “escápula”. The omohyoid muscle should be called "escapulohioideo" (scapulohyoid); the omoclavicular triangle, "triángulo supraclavicular" (supraclavicular triangle); the omotracheal triangle, "triángulo muscular anterior del cuello” (anterior muscular triangle of the neck); and the jugulo-omohyoid node, "ganglio yugulo-escapulohioideo” (jugulo-scapulohyoid node). These corrections only apply for Spanish.

Conclusions: to unify the terminology, the structures containing the morpheme "omo", of Greek origin, should use the Latin prefix “scapulo”, or use a descriptive terminology about their anatomical position.