retromuscular
|re-tro-mus-cu-lar|
🇺🇸
/ˌrɛtroʊˈmʌskjələr/
🇬🇧
/ˌrɛtrəʊˈmʌskjʊlə/
located behind a muscle
Etymology
'retromuscular' originates from Latin components: 'retro' and 'musculus' (via New Latin/Modern medical formation). 'retro-' meant 'backward' or 'behind' and 'musculus' meant 'little mouse' (used for 'muscle').
'retro-' entered English as a productive prefix from Latin 'retro' ('behind, backward'), and 'muscular' derives from Latin 'musculus' → late Latin/Old French forms → Middle English 'musculer' before stabilizing as 'muscular' in Modern English; the compound 'retromuscular' is a modern medical/technical formation combining the prefix + adjective.
Initially the elements referred separately to 'behind' and 'muscle'; over time the combined form came to mean specifically 'situated behind a muscle' in anatomical and surgical contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
located behind a muscle; positioned on the posterior side of a muscle (anatomic description).
The surgeon examined the retromuscular area to check for any adhesions.
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Adjective 2
describing placement in surgery or implantology, e.g., an implant placed behind the pectoralis major muscle (retromuscular pocket).
The breast implant was placed in a retromuscular pocket to provide additional soft-tissue coverage.
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Last updated: 2026/01/07 12:55