Dominic Stone
The external oblique muscle is one of the outermost abdominal muscles, extending from the lower half of the ribs around and down to the pelvis. It is the largest and outermost of the three flat abdominal muscles of the lateral anterior abdomen. The external oblique muscle also supports the rotation of the spine and contributes to a variety of trunk movements, including bending over, twisting the torso, and side bending. It also assists with breathing. Strains and tears in the oblique muscle can cause pain and discomfort and are common in sports such as baseball and cricket, which require repetitive twisting and overarm movements.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type | External abdominal oblique muscle, Internal oblique muscle |
| Location | On the sides of the body, extending from the lower half of the ribs around and down to the pelvis |
| Shape | Broad, thin, irregularly quadrilateral |
| Size | The largest of the flat abdominal muscles |
| Function | Supports the rotation of the spine, pulls the chest downwards, compresses the abdominal cavity, supports the trunk, helps with movement, holds organs in place, assists with breathing |
| Injury | Oblique strain, also known as a side strain, is a common injury, especially in sports such as baseball and cricket that require repetitive twisting and overarm movement |
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What You'll Learn
- The external oblique muscle is one of the abdominal muscles
- It supports the rotation of the spine
- Injury to the oblique muscle is common in baseball players
- Oblique muscle pain is typically a sign of injury to the oblique, or side, muscles
- The internal oblique muscle functions similarly to the external oblique, except it rotates ipsilaterally
The external oblique muscle is one of the abdominal muscles
The external oblique is a paired muscle, with one on each side of the rectus abdominis. It is located beneath the thoracic and abdominal skin, covering the internal abdominal oblique and anterior halves of the ribs and intercostal muscles. The muscle contributes to the lateral part of the abdominal wall, while its aponeurotic part contributes to the anterior abdominal wall. The superior, medial, and inferior margins of the muscle relate to their respective attachment points, while the posterior margin is free.
The external oblique muscle has a variety of functions, including pulling the chest downwards and compressing the abdominal cavity, which increases intra-abdominal pressure. It also performs ipsilateral (same-side) side-bending and contralateral (opposite-side) rotation. For example, the right external oblique would side-bend to the right and rotate to the left. The muscle also supports the rotation of the spine and contributes to various trunk movements.
The external oblique is innervated by the anterior rami of the thoracic spinal nerves T7-T12, with the intercostal nerves T7-T11 supplying the superior part of the muscle and the subcostal nerve T12 innervating the lower part. The muscle receives sensory innervation from the lumbar plexus via the iliohypogastric nerve (L1). The upper two-thirds of the muscle receive blood supply from the branches of the lower posterior intercostal and subcostal arteries, while the lower third is supplied by the deep circumflex iliac artery.
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It supports the rotation of the spine
The external oblique muscle is one of the outermost abdominal muscles, extending from the lower half of the ribs around and down to the pelvis. The abdominal external oblique muscle is the largest and outermost of the three flat abdominal muscles of the lateral anterior abdomen. It is situated on the lateral and anterior parts of the abdomen. The external oblique is a pair of muscles, one on each side of the rectus abdominis. They are the largest of the flat muscles and sit at the bottom of the stack. They run from the sides of the body toward the middle.
The external oblique muscle also supports the rotation of the spine. The external oblique functions to pull the chest downwards and compress the abdominal cavity, which increases the intra-abdominal pressure. It also performs ipsilateral (same-side) side-bending and contralateral (opposite side) rotation: the right external oblique would side-bend to the right and rotate to the left, and vice versa. The internal oblique muscle functions similarly, except it rotates ipsilaterally. The oblique strain is a common baseball injury, particularly in pitchers. In batters and pitchers, it can affect the contralateral (leading) side external oblique, or the trailing internal oblique.
The external oblique muscle contributes to a variety of trunk movements. Strain or injury to the muscle can be debilitating, including movements that do not directly use the muscle, such as walking or running, which cause slight movements in the torso. Oblique muscle pain occurs due to oblique strains and tears, also known as side strain. This often occurs in sports that require repetitive twisting and overarm movement, such as baseball or cricket.
The abdominal muscles have many important functions, from holding organs in place to supporting the body during movement. Together with the back muscles, the abdominal muscles make up the "core" muscles. They help protect the spine and keep the body stable and balanced. They also help stabilize the trunk and maintain consistent internal pressure in the abdomen.
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Injury to the oblique muscle is common in baseball players
The abdominal external oblique muscle is the largest and outermost of the three flat abdominal muscles of the lateral anterior abdomen. It is situated on the lateral and anterior parts of the abdomen and is broad, thin, and irregularly quadrilateral. The oblique muscle supports the rotation of the spine and contributes to a variety of trunk movements. Strain or injury to the muscle can be debilitating, even during ambulatory motions such as walking or running.
In baseball, oblique injuries are a common cause of time out of play for players. They are responsible for 4% to 5% of all injuries in Major League Baseball (MLB), with a total of 1075 oblique injuries recorded during the 2011 to 2015 seasons. The injury typically presents with the acute onset of sharp pain over the lateral abdomen after a forceful rotational activity such as pitching, batting, diving, or throwing.
The abdominal muscles are key to the transfer of power in rotational activities, which is essential for throwing and batting in baseball. This transfer of power from the lower to the upper extremities is facilitated by the internal and external obliques, making them susceptible to injury during baseball-related movements.
Oblique strains are more common on the side contralateral to the batting or pitching side, but they can occur on either side. In a study of a Japanese professional baseball team, 12.2% of players sustained internal oblique muscle strains over a 10-year period, with a greater incidence among fielders.
With the right prevention techniques and injury management strategies, the risk of oblique muscle injuries in baseball players can be lowered.
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Oblique muscle pain is typically a sign of injury to the oblique, or side, muscles
The abdominal external oblique muscle, or simply the external oblique muscle, is one of the abdominal muscles. It is the largest and outermost of the three flat abdominal muscles of the lateral anterior abdomen. The external oblique is situated on the lateral and anterior parts of the abdomen. It is broad, thin, and irregularly quadrilateral, with its muscular portion occupying the side of the abdomen. The internal oblique muscles are underneath the external oblique muscles on each side of the trunk.
The external oblique muscles allow the trunk to twist from side to side and support the rotation of the spine. They also help pull the chest downwards, which compresses the abdominal cavity and increases intra-abdominal pressure. The internal oblique muscles function similarly to the external oblique muscles, except they rotate ipsilaterally (on the same side).
Conservative treatment is usually enough to treat oblique muscle strains, and a full recovery can be expected within a few weeks. To prevent oblique muscle strains, it is important to practice the correct techniques for a particular sport and work on conditioning. Additionally, stretching, warming up, and cooling down when exercising can help reduce the risk of oblique muscle injuries.
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The internal oblique muscle functions similarly to the external oblique, except it rotates ipsilaterally
The abdominal muscles are strong bands of muscles lining the walls of the abdomen. They are located towards the front of the body, between the ribs and the pelvis. There are five main abdominal muscles: pyramidalis, rectus abdominus, external obliques, internal obliques, and transversus abdominis.
The external oblique muscle is the largest and outermost of the three flat abdominal muscles of the lateral anterior abdomen. It is broad, thin, and irregularly quadrilateral, with its muscular portion occupying the side and its aponeurosis occupying the anterior wall of the abdomen. The external oblique muscle is situated on the lateral and anterior parts of the abdomen, extending from the lower half of the ribs around and down to the pelvis.
The internal oblique muscles are a pair of muscles that lie underneath the external oblique muscles on each side of the trunk, just inside the hip bones. They are much thinner and smaller than the external oblique muscles. Like the external oblique muscles, they are on the sides of the rectus abdominis, running from the sides of the trunk towards the middle.
The external oblique muscle functions to pull the chest downwards and compress the abdominal cavity, increasing intra-abdominal pressure. It also performs ipsilateral (same-side) side-bending and contralateral (opposite-side) rotation: the right external oblique would side-bend to the right and rotate to the left, and vice versa. The internal oblique muscle functions similarly to the external oblique muscle, except it rotates ipsilaterally.
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Frequently asked questions
The external oblique muscle is one of the outermost abdominal muscles. It is broad, thin, and irregularly quadrilateral, with its muscular portion occupying the side of the abdomen and its aponeurosis occupying the anterior wall. The internal oblique muscle sits underneath the external oblique.
The oblique muscles, also known as the waist muscles, control bending physical activities such as bending over, twisting the torso, and side bending. They also assist with breathing. The external oblique muscle pulls the chest downwards and compresses the abdominal cavity, increasing intra-abdominal pressure.
Oblique muscle pain is typically a sign of injury to the oblique, or side, muscles. Symptoms of an oblique strain include pain when repeating the movement that caused the injury and tenderness on the side of the nondominant arm.
