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Triangle of auscultation
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The triangle of auscultation is a small triangular space in the musculature of the back, close to the inferior angle of the scapula. It is bounded by three main muscles: the inferolateral border of the trapezius, the superior border of the latissimus dorsi and the inferomedial border of rhomboid major. The latter muscle is sometimes substituted for medial border of the scapula in some literature.
This triangle becomes more prominent when the back is flexed and the arms are folded across the chest, drawing the scapulae anteriorly. In this position, parts of the 6th and 7th ribs, which occupy the floor of the triangle, become more superficial, lying within the subcutaneous tissue, directly under the skin.
As its name suggests, the region serves as a site where physicians can listen to respiratory sounds in the posterior segments of the lungs audibly, using a stethoscope.
| Terminology |
English: Triangle of auscultation Synonym: Auscultatory triangle Latin: Trigonum auscultationis |
| Definition | Triangular space in the musculature of the back, near the inferior angle of the scapula |
| Function | Region for auscultation of posterior lung segments |
Learn more about the triangle of auscultation in the following study unit:
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