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I looked up some information about a muscle I damaged in a bad fall. I was amazed about all the details written to describe where the muscle attaches and what it does. How do they know all this for sure?

Scientists have studied the body for hundreds of years. Each part has been carefully dissected (cut away from the body). Some researchers use electrodes on live subjects to test out each muscle. This helps define what actions muscles are responsible for.

Combining muscle testing equipment with computers has given us a lot of new information. Computer software has been designed to analyze muscle movement and function. Some muscles are divided in parts. Each section has its own job. This kind of testing makes it possible to compare one part of the muscle to another.

Reference: 

Richard A. Ekstrom, PT, DSc, MS, OCS, et al. Comparing the Function of the Upper and Lower Parts of the Serratus Anterior Muscle Using Surface Electromyography. In Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. May 2004. Vol. 34. No. 5. Pp. 235-243.

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