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The rectus femoris is one of the four muscles that make up the quadriceps femoris, a group of leg muscles at the front of the thigh. The other three muscles are the vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and vastus lateralis. The quadriceps femoris is the most powerful extensor of the knee, and the rectus femoris is the most superficial and nearly vertically oriented muscle in the group. It is the only muscle in the quadriceps group that crosses the hip. The rectus femoris is involved in activities that require forceful knee extension, such as kicking, running, and jumping.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscle Group | Quadriceps |
| Muscle Parts | Rectus Femoris, Vastus Medialis, Vastus Intermedius, Vastus Lateralis |
| Muscle Function | Flexes the hip, Extends the knee |
| Muscle Shape | Fusiform |
| Muscle Fibres | Superficial bipenniform fibres, Deep vertically oriented fibres |
| Muscle Innervation | Femoral nerve (L2-L4) |
| Muscle Blood Supply | Lateral circumflex femoral artery, Superficial circumflex iliac artery |
| Muscle Injuries | Active insufficiency, Passive insufficiency, Avulsion fracture, Strain/Tear |
| Muscle Actions | Kicking, Running, Jumping, Walking |
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What You'll Learn
Rectus femoris anatomy
The rectus femoris is one of the four muscles that make up the quadriceps femoris group, the others being the vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and vastus lateralis. It is the most anterior and superficial of the quadriceps muscles and is located in the middle of the front of the thigh. The muscle is fusiform in shape, with its superficial fibres arranged in a bipenniform manner and its deep fibres running straight down to the deep aponeurosis.
The rectus femoris is the only muscle in the quadriceps group that crosses the hip and is also a hip flexor. It acts with the iliopsoas to produce hip flexion, especially if the knee is flexed. During gait, as a hip flexor, it acts with the iliopsoas in the "Toe off" phase. It is also involved in forceful knee extension, earning it the nickname "kicking muscle". The muscle is highly efficient in movements combining hip hyperextension and knee flexion or starting from a position of knee extension and hip flexion, such as kicking a soccer ball.
The rectus femoris has two origins. The "direct head" originates from the anterior inferior iliac spine, while the "indirect head" originates from the superior acetabular ridge. The muscle has a proximal tendinous complex (PTC) formed by a direct tendon (DT), an indirect tendon (IT), and a variable third head. The direct and indirect tendons converge into a common tendon (CT), which connects to the anterior superior iliac spine via a membrane. The rectus femoris, along with the other three muscles of the quadriceps group, joins the quadriceps tendon to insert at the patella and tibial tuberosity via the patellar ligament.
The rectus femoris is innervated by the femoral nerve, which originates from lumbar nerve roots L2, L3, and L4. Blood is supplied to the muscle via the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral (LCF) artery, and venous drainage occurs through the femoral vein and its branches. The muscle's ability to flex the hip and extend the knee can be compromised in a position of full hip extension and knee flexion due to active and passive insufficiency.
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Quadriceps femoris injuries
The quadriceps femoris is a hip flexor and a knee extensor, located in the anterior compartment of the thigh. Quadriceps femoris injuries are common in athletes, with the muscle prone to muscle strains in sports that require explosive movements such as sprinting, jumping, kicking, and forceful knee extension. The rectus femoris is the most frequently strained muscle of the quadriceps group. Quadriceps injuries can also result from trauma or occupations requiring repetitive movement of this muscle.
The most common quadriceps femoris injuries are strains or "pulled quads," which occur when muscle fibres are overstretched. Strains can range from mild to severe, with the most extreme cases resulting in a torn quad tendon. Quadriceps contusions are usually the result of a direct blow to the front of the thigh, causing a bruise or hematoma. Cuts or lacerations can also damage the quad muscles or tendons and are often the result of a fall, car accident, or traumatic sports injury. Tendonitis, or inflammation of the tendons, can irritate the muscles and put additional pressure on them, causing thigh pain.
The rectus femoris muscle is one of the four muscles of the quadriceps femoris, along with the vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and vastus lateralis. The rectus femoris is situated in the middle of the front of the thigh and is the most superficial and nearly vertically oriented muscle of the quadriceps group. It is the only muscle in the group that crosses the hip. The rectus femoris acts with the iliopsoas to produce hip flexion, particularly when the knee is flexed.
Injuries to the rectus femoris typically occur at the tendon that attaches to the patella or in the muscle itself. This injury is usually a partial tear but can be a full tear. The injury often causes a tearing sensation and abrupt-onset pain. Treatment for quadriceps injuries typically involves strengthening exercises, with recent evidence suggesting that these can be started early in the recovery process. Static quad stretches and hip flexor stretches can also be performed to aid in recovery.
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Blood supply to the muscle
The rectus femoris is a versatile muscle that is frequently used in reconstructive surgery. It is part of the quadriceps group and is located in the anterior middle compartment of the thigh. The muscle is involved in hip flexion and knee extension.
The blood supply to the rectus femoris comes from the femoral artery, which is the main blood vessel supplying oxygen-rich blood to the lower body. The femoral artery runs from the upper thigh to the back of the knee and gives off the deep femoral artery as it descends along the anteromedial part of the thigh in the femoral triangle. The femoral artery is susceptible to peripheral arterial disease and aneurysms, which can cause symptoms such as painful or achy leg muscles, swelling, and skin discolouration.
The femoral artery supplies blood to the rectus femoris via its branch, the lateral femoral circumflex artery. The lateral femoral circumflex artery has two branches: the medial circumflex artery and the lateral circumflex artery. The lateral circumflex artery further branches into the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral (LCF) artery, which directly supplies blood to the rectus femoris.
The pedicular blood supply to the rectus femoris has been studied using cadavers, and it was found that the muscle is supplied by two pedicles from the deep lateral branch of the lateral circumflex artery in most cases. The distance of arterial insertions into the rectus femoris from the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) was measured, and it was found that the pedicles were located between 8 and 26 cm from the ASIS in 95% of cases.
The femoral artery is commonly used in clinical practice for angiography and vascular surgery due to its accessibility. It is also used to draw arterial blood when blood pressure is too low to access the radial or brachial arteries.
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Muscle insufficiency
The rectus femoris is a muscle in the human body that is part of the quadriceps muscle group. It is the most anterior of the four muscles that make up the quadriceps, the others being the vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and vastus lateralis. The rectus femoris is the only muscle in the quadriceps group that crosses the hip. It is also known as the "kicking muscle" because of its role in forceful knee extension.
The rectus femoris is a multi-joint muscle, crossing the thigh and knee joints. It acts with the iliopsoas to produce hip flexion, especially if the knee is flexed. It also extends the knee as part of the quadriceps femoris.
Multi-joint muscles can experience functional limitations known as active and passive insufficiency. Active insufficiency occurs when a multi-joint muscle shortens across all joints simultaneously, reducing its ability to generate optimal tension and force. In the case of the rectus femoris, this happens when the hip is flexed, as it cannot contract at the knee joint to perform knee extension simultaneously. The rectus femoris is already shortened and thus has limited ability to flex the hip.
Passive insufficiency, on the other hand, occurs when a multi-joint muscle is lengthened to its fullest extent at both joints but cannot achieve a full range of motion at each joint. For the rectus femoris, this happens when the hip is fully extended, limiting full knee flexion.
These insufficiencies are important considerations in exercise prescription, fitness training, and post-injury recovery. For example, during rehabilitation, each joint should be moved through its available range of motion to improve or maintain the range of motion at that joint.
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Femur and knee joint
The femur is the body's longest and strongest bone, extending from the hip to the knee and connecting to the tibia (shin bone) at the knee joint. The knee joint is the largest joint in the human body. It is a synovial joint, which means it has the most freedom to move. The knee joint is also a hinge joint, allowing the knee to open and close in one direction. The knee joint is where the patella (kneecap) meets the femur, and where the tibia meets the femur. The patella is attached to the quadriceps tendon above and the patellar ligament below, resting against the anterior articular surface of the femur's lower end. The patella acts as a fulcrum for the quadriceps, holding the quadriceps tendon off the femur's lower end.
The knee joint contains cartilage, such as the meniscus, and ligaments, such as the LCL, MCL, ACL, and PCL. The meniscus is made of fibrocartilage, a tough cartilage made of thick fibres that hold parts of the body in place and absorb impacts. The meniscus in the knee is made up of two wedges of fibrocartilage that cushion the space between the femur and tibia. The knee joint's ligaments are bands of tissue that connect the thigh bone to the lower leg bones. The two collateral ligaments are like straps on opposite sides of the knee, with the MCL on the inner side and the LCL on the outer side. The collateral ligaments prevent the knee from moving side to side. The cruciate ligaments are inside the knee joint, with the ACL running through the centre of the joint from the femur to the tibia, and the PCL preventing the femur from moving too far forward over the tibia.
The rectus femoris is a muscle that is part of the quadriceps group. It is located in the anterior middle compartment of the thigh and is the only muscle in the quadriceps group that crosses the hip. The rectus femoris is also part of the quadriceps femoris, which is a muscle complex that is one of the knee's most important dynamic stabilizers. The rectus femoris is the most superficial and nearly vertically oriented muscle in the anterior thigh compartment. The muscle has two origins: the direct head, which originates from the anterior inferior iliac spine, and the indirect head, which originates from the superior acetabular ridge. The rectus femoris tendon can cause a fragment of the anterior inferior iliac spine of the hip to avulse in what is known as an avulsion fracture. This unusual injury can occur when a forceful contraction of the muscle generates a force greater than that which holds the bone together.
The rectus femoris acts with the iliopsoas to produce hip flexion, especially when the knee is flexed. The muscle also acts as an extensor of the knee, generating the force needed for loading (foot flat phase) in the stance phase. The rectus femoris is more efficient in movements that combine hip hyper-extension and knee flexion, such as kicking a soccer ball.
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Frequently asked questions
The joint femoris muscle, or quadriceps femoris, is a group of muscles at the front of the thigh. It is the most powerful extensor of the knee.
The quadriceps femoris is made up of four muscles: rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius.
The rectus femoris acts with iliopsoas to produce hip flexion, especially if the knee is flexed. It also helps with knee extension and is important for activities like kicking, running, and jumping.
Common injuries include strains or "pulled quads," contusions from direct blows, cuts or lacerations, tendonitis, and avulsion fractures caused by forceful contractions.
Blood is supplied to the rectus femoris via the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral (LCF) artery, which is a branch of the femoral artery.
