Muscles of the thigh

Objectives• Know the type and formation of hip joint.• Differentiate the stability and mobility between the hip joint

and shoulder joint. • Identify the muscles that act at the hip joint.

• Identify the muscles of the thigh in terms of their origin,

insertion, nerve supply and actions.

• Explain the relationships of contents of the femoral triangle to

each other & to the surrounding bone and soft tissue

landmarks.

Surface anatomy of the thigh

• Surface features of the Thigh– Sartorius muscle– Quadriceps femoris

muscle– Adductor longus muscle– Hamstring muscles– Femoral triangle

Compartments of the thigh

Thigh is divided to 3 groups of muscles called compartments.

• Anterior compartment• Posterior compartment• Medial compartment

The thigh is divided into 3 compartments by 3 intermuscular septa (extending from deep fascia into femur)

Anterior CompartmentExtensors of knee: Quadriceps femorisFlexors of hip: 1. Sartorius 2. Pectineus 3. psoas major 4. IliacusNerve supply: Femoral nerve

Medial Compartment

Adductors of hip: 1. Adductor longus 2. Adductor brevis 3. Adductor magnus (adductor part) 4. GracilisNerve supply: Obturator nervePosterior Compartment

Flexors of knee & extensors of hip: HamstringsNerve supply: Sciatic nerve

MUSCLES:1. Adductor longus2. Adductor brevis3. Adductor magnus

(Adductor portion)4. Gracilis

ACTION:ADDUCTION OF HIP JOINTN.B.: Gracilis also flexes knee joint

NERVE SUPPLY:OBTURATOR NERVE

Adductor magnus(Adductor portion)

Medial Compartment of Thigh

1

2

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Adductor magnus(Hamstring portions)

1

2

34

InsertionPosterior border of femur (Linea Aspera)

Upper part of medialsurface of tibia

(behind sartorius)

Adductor longus Adductor brevisAdductor magnus(adductor portion)

Gracilis

OriginBody of pubis Body of pubis

Inferior pubic ramus

Inferior pubic ramusIschial ramus

Adductor hiatus

Hamstring hiatus

Adductor part

Medial Compartment

Medial Compartment

Blood Supply:Obturator artery:Branch of internal iliac artery.

Medial Compartment

Innervation:Obturator nerve.Tibial nerve:To hamstring portion of adductor magnus.

Action:Adduction

Anterior Compartment of Thigh

Vastus Intermedius(deep to rectus femoris)

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3

1

4

2

3

4

Contains the: Flexor of the hip:

1. Sartorius2. Pectineus3. Psoas major4. Iliacus

Extensors of knee (Quadriceps femoris): 1. Rectus femoris 2. Vastus lateralis3. Vastus medialis 4. Vastus intermedius (deep to

rectus femoris)

Nerve supply: Femoral nerve

Sartorius

S

Action(TAILOR’S POSITION)

Flexion, abduction & lateral rotation of hip jointFlexion of knee joint

Pectineus

ACTION:Flexion & adduction of hip joint

Iliacus & Psoas major (Iliopsoas)

Insertion:Lesser trochanter of femur

Action:Flexion of hip joint

Origin:Psoas major: T12 & lumbar vertebrae

Iliacus: Iliac fossa

Quadriceps FemorisOrigin:Rectus femoris: Anterior inferior iliac spineVastus intermedius:Front of shaft of femur

Vastus medialis:Posterior border of femurVastus lateralis:

Posterior border of femur

INSERTION:Into PATELLA (Patella is a sesamoid bone)From patella into TUBEROSITY OF TIBIA through Ligamentum Patellae (Patellar Ligament)

ACTION:Extension of knee joint

Anterior Compartment

Blood Supply:Femoral Artery:

Superficial circumflex iliac.Superficial epigastric.Superficial external

pudendal.Deep external pudendal.Descending genicular.Deep femoral (profunda femoris)Lateral femoral circumflex.Medial femoral circumflex.

Anterior Compartment

• Innervation:Femoral Nerve:

• Action:Hip flexion.Knee extension.

Femoral Triangle: Location & Boundaries• It is a deep hollow in the Upper third

of front of thigh inferior to the inguinal ligament

Boundaries• Base: Inguinal ligament• Medial: Medial border of the

adductor longus muscle• Lateral: Medial border of the

sartorius muscle• Floor: (from media to lateral)

• adductor longus • Pectineus • Psoas major• Iliacus

• Roof: Skin, superficial & deep fascia.

PectineusIliopsoas

Femoral Triangle: ContentsFrom lateral to medial:1. Femoral nerve & its branches2. Femoral artery3. Femoral vein4. Lymphatic vessels and some deep

inguinal lymph nodes5. Great saphenous vein

(superficial), draining into femoral vein

DEFINITION: an aponeurotic tunnel for femoral artery & veinSITE: In middle third of front of thigh deep to sartoriusEXTENT: From apex of femoral triangle to adductor hiatusBOUNDARIES:

Roof (Anterior): Sartorius (medially) and vastus medialis (laterally) Floor (Posterior): Adductor longus & magnus

ADDUCTOR CANAL

(Subsartorial/Hunter’s canal) Adductor hiatus

Posterior Compartment Of The Thigh

• Muscles: • Hamstring muscles:• Biceps femoris. • Semitendinosus.• Semimembranosus.• Ischial part of adductor

magnus.• Blood supply: • Branches of the profunda

femoris artery.• Nerve supply: • Sciatic nerve.

Biceps Femoris • Origin:

– The long head from the ischial tuberosity.

– The short head from the linea aspera .

• Insertion: • Into the head of the fibula.• Nerve supply: • The long head is supplied by the

tibial part of the sciatic; • the short head is supplied by the

common peroneal part of the sciatic.

• Action :• Flexion of knee.• Lateral rotation of flexed leg.• Long head: extends hip.

Semitendinosus• Origin: • Ischial tuberosity.• Insertion: • Upper part of the medial

surface of the shaft of the tibia (SGS)..

• Nerve supply: • Tibial portion of the sciatic.• Action: • Flexes and medially rotates

the leg at the knee joint; • Extends the thigh at the

hip joint.

Semimembranosus• Origin: • Ischial tuberosity.• Insertion: • Posterior surface of the medial

condyle of the tibia. • It forms the oblique popliteal

ligament, which reinforces the capsule on the back of the knee joint.

Nerve supply:• Tibial portion of the sciatic

nerve. Action: • Flexes and medially rotates the

leg at the knee joint; • Extends the thigh at the hip.

Adductor Magnus (Hamstring Part)• Origin:• Ischial ramus and ischial

tuberosity• Insertion: • Adductor tubercle of the medial

condyle of the femur.• Nerve supply: • The tibial portion of the sciatic.• Action: • Extends the thigh at the hip

joint.

Posterior compartment of the thighInnervation:

•Tibial division of sciatic nerve

•Except short head of biceps femoris: common fibular division of sciatic nerve

posterior

BLOOD SUPPLY

• The four perforating branches of the profunda femoris artery provide a rich blood supply to this compartment.

• The profunda femoris vein drains the greater part of the blood from the compartment.

NERVE SUPPLY • Sciatic Nerve• The sciatic nerve, a branch of the

sacral plexus (L4 and 5; S1, 2, and 3), leaves the gluteal region as it descends in the midline of the thigh.

• It is overlapped posteriorly by the adjacent margins of the biceps femoris and semimembranosus muscles.

• It lies on the posterior aspect of the adductor magnus.

• In the lower third of the thigh it ends by dividing into the tibial and common peroneal nerves.

Psoas Major

Tensor Fascia Latae

Rectus Femoris

Adductor Longus

Sartorius

Vastus Medialis

Iliacus

Vastus Lateralis

Vastus Intermedius DEEP TO RECTUS FEMORIS