Which muscle is primarily shortened in Congenital Muscular Torticollis (CMT)?
Answer
Sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM).
Congenital Muscular Torticollis (CMT) involves a specific muscular etiology where the primary physical characteristic stems from the tightening or shortening of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) on one side of the neck. This critical muscle serves as an attachment point, connecting the breastbone and collarbone (sternum and clavicle) up to the mastoid bone located just behind the ear. Understanding that the SCM is the implicated tissue explains why its restriction leads to the characteristic head tilt seen in CMT. If the condition is skeletal rather than muscular, the physical appearance relates to the cervical vertebrae, but in CMT, the SCM is the key anatomical structure affected.
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