Adductors and QuadricepsLink

Muscles of the Anterior Thigh

MUSCLES OF THE MEDIAL THIGH:ADDUCTORS

GRACILIS Most superficial adductor Gracilis= “slender” Much larger in the cat Unique in that it inserts

on the tibia (along with sartorious)

GRACILIS

O- Pubis I- Medial epicondyle A- Adducts thigh,

flexes & medially rotates leg (at the knee)

Gracilis

“Adductors”

Adductor Magnus (large)– Adductor femoris in cats

Adductor Longus (long) Adductor Brevis (short)

– deep to longus– won’t see in the cat

All ADDUCT, LATERALLY ROTATE, FLEX THIGH

ADDUCTOR MAGNUS

O-inferior pubis/ischial tuberosity I- linea aspera/medial epicondyle A- Adducts thigh

Superior fibers: flex/laterally rotate thigh Vertical fibers: extend thigh

ADDUCTOR LONGUS O-Pubis I- Middle 1/3 of linea

aspera A- Adducts, laterally

rotates, flexes thigh

ADDUCTOR BREVIS O- Pubis I- Proximal linea

aspera A- Adducts, laterally

rotates flexes thigh

PECTINEUS O- Pubis I- Distal to the lesser

trochanter A- Adducts & flexes thigh

Adductor femoris (magnus)adj. to semimembranosus

Adductor longus, Pectineus

Medial Thigh Muscles

MUSCLES OF THE ANTERIOR THIGH: QUADRICEPS

Quadriceps Rectus femoris (straight fibers) Vastus medialis (medial) Vastus intermedius (middle)

– Deep to rectus femoris Vastus lateralis (lateral) All muscles share the quadriceps tendon, which inserts on the patella, and continues as the patellar tendon to the tibial tuberosity

All muscles have the action of extending the knee

RECTUS FEMORIS

O- anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS)

I- patella>>tibial tuberosity

A- extends knee

VASTUS MEDIALIS VASTUS INTERMEDIUS

VASTUS LATERALIS

O- VM: linea aspera O- VI: anterior-lateral femur O- VL: posterior-lateral femur

FOR ALL: I- patella>>tibial tuberosity A- extends knee

Rectus femoris, vastus medialis & lateralis

Patellar Tendon/Ligament

Other muscles of the ANTERIOR THIGH

SARTORIUS (sartor=tailor)– Longest muscle in the body

TENSOR FASCIAE LATAE (tensor = tightener, fascia = band, latus = wide)– Continuous with the iliotibial

tract/band

SARTORIUS

O- anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS)

I- medial, proximal tibia A- Flexes, abducts, laterally

rotates thigh; flexes knee (like looking at the bottom of your shoe to see if you stepped in gum!

SARTORIUSsuperficial; lateral to gracilis

TENSOR FASCIAE LATAE (TFL)

O- ASIS, iliac crest I- iliotibial band>>

lateral condyle of tibia A- abducts thigh,

stabilizes knee & hip

Tensor Fasciae Latae

Quiz yourself here…

Link