Logan Steele
The thigh muscles are some of the largest and hardest-working muscles in the body. They are also prone to injury, especially among athletes. The muscles in the front of the thigh are called the anterior thigh muscles and they include the quadriceps, pectineus, sartorius, and iliopsoas. Quadriceps, or quads, are a group of muscles that help with movements such as kicking, running, jumping, and walking. They are made up of five muscles: vastus lateralis, tensor of the vastus intermedius, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis, and rectus femoris.
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What You'll Learn
Quadriceps femoris
The quadriceps femoris muscle, commonly known as the quad muscle, is the strongest muscle in the human body. It is located in the anterior compartment of the thigh, along with the sartorius muscle. The name 'quadriceps femoris' translates to 'four-headed muscle' from Latin, as it consists of four individual muscles: rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and vastus intermedius.
The rectus femoris is a fusiform muscle that consists of two heads. It originates from two sites on the ilium: the anterior inferior iliac spine (straight head) and the supraacetabular groove (reflected head). The two heads unite into a common muscle belly that courses down the thigh in an almost vertical fashion, covering the anterior aspect of this region. The rectus femoris is the only quad muscle that spans both the hip and knee joints. It is supplied by the artery of the quadriceps, which can stem from three sources: femoral, deep femoral, or lateral circumflex femoral arteries.
The vastus medialis originates from several landmarks of the proximal femur, including the inferior part of the intertrochanteric line, pectineal line of the femur, medial lip of the linea aspera, and proximal half of the medial supracondylar line. It lies medial to the rectus femoris and is partially covered by it. The vastus medialis plays an important role in stabilising the patella and the knee joint during gait.
The vastus lateralis originates from the lateral face of the great trochanter, the gluteal tuberosity, and the lateral lip of the linea aspera. It is the largest of the five quad muscles. The vastus intermedius originates from the proximal three-fourths of the anterior and lateral faces of the femoral body and the lateral lip of the linea aspera. It lies in the middle of the thigh, beneath the rectus femoris.
The four muscles share a common quadriceps femoris tendon, which inserts into the patella. The quadriceps femoris muscle is innervated by the femoral nerve, which originates from L2, L3, and L4. It is a powerful extensor of the knee joint and is crucial in walking, running, jumping, and squatting. The quadriceps femoris is also used to test the femoral nerve in cases of suspected nerve palsy.
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Sartorius
The sartorius muscle is the longest muscle in the human body. It is a long, thin, superficial muscle that runs down the length of the thigh in the anterior compartment, from the hip to the knee. It is positioned more superficially than the other muscles in the leg. The sartorius muscle is innervated by the femoral nerve, which receives its nerve supply from L2, L3, and L4 nerve roots. The muscle may be split into two parts, and one part may be inserted into the fascia lata, the femur, the ligament of the patella, or the tendon of the semitendinosus. The tendon of insertion may end in the fascia lata, the capsule of the knee joint, or the fascia of the leg. The sartorius muscle can move both the hip joint and the knee joint, but all of its actions are weak, making it a synergist muscle. At the hip, it can flex, weakly abduct, and laterally rotate the femur. At the knee, it can flex the leg; when the knee is flexed, the sartorius medially rotates the leg. Sitting cross-legged demonstrates all four actions of the sartorius.
The sartorius muscle is unique in that it serves as both a hip and knee flexor. The origin of the sartorius is the anterior superior iliac spine, sharing this origin with the tensor fascia lata. At the hip, it acts to flex the hip as well as externally rotate. The sartorius muscle acts synergistically with the other musculature of the hip, thigh, and knee. The function of the sartorius is also important in stabilising the pelvis, especially in women. This is due to the constrictive effect that the muscles on both sides of the body have on the pubic symphysis.
The sartorius muscle gets its name from the Latin word "sartor", which means patcher or tailor, referring to the cross-legged position in which tailors once sat. Antique sewing machines required continuous crossbody pedalling, which resulted in tailors having particularly developed sartorius muscles. The muscle may also be called the "tailor's muscle" or "couturier" (French for seamstress or dressmaker).
One of the many conditions that can disrupt the use of the sartorius is pes anserine bursitis, an inflammatory condition of the medial portion of the knee. This condition usually occurs in athletes from overuse and is characterised by pain, swelling, and tenderness.
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Iliopsoas
The iliopsoas muscle is a large muscle group in the front of the thigh that is essential for correct standing or sitting lumbar posture. It is a common name for the psoas major and the iliacus muscles, which are separate in the abdomen but usually merge in the thigh. The iliopsoas is classified as an "anterior hip muscle" or "inner hip muscle". It is the prime mover of hip flexion and is the strongest of the hip flexors. The iliopsoas muscle is supplied by the lumbar spinal nerves L1–L3 (psoas) and parts of the femoral nerve (iliacus).
The iliopsoas muscle joins to the femur at the lesser trochanter. The psoas major originates along the outer surfaces of the vertebral bodies of T12 and L1–L3 and their associated intervertebral discs. The iliacus originates in the iliac fossa of the pelvis. The psoas major unites with the iliacus at the level of the inguinal ligament. The iliopsoas is the primary hip flexor and assists in external rotation of the hip joint, playing an important role in maintaining the strength and integrity of the hip joint.
The iliopsoas muscle complex can function as a unit or as separate muscles. It is covered by the iliac fascia, which begins as a strong tube-shaped psoas fascia that surrounds the psoas major muscle as it passes under. The iliopsoas tendon can develop a tendinopathy, which can cause chronic groin pain and a limited hip range of motion.
The iliopsoas is a typical posture muscle dominated by slow-twitch red type 1 fibres. Since it originates from the lumbar vertebrae and discs and then inserts onto the femur, any structure from the lumbar spine to the femur can be affected directly. A short and tight iliopsoas often presents as externally rotated legs and feet. It can cause pain in the low or mid-back, SI joint, hip, groin, thigh, knee, or any combination.
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Pectineus
The pectineus is a flat, quadrangular muscle located at the anterior (front) part of the upper and medial (inner) aspect of the thigh. It is considered a transitional muscle between the anterior thigh and medial thigh. The muscle contributes to the floor of the femoral triangle. It originates from the pectineal line of the pubis bone and extends to the top of the femur. The muscle has the most superior attachment of all the thigh adductors.
The pectineus is innervated by the femoral nerve (L2 and L3) and occasionally (in 20% of the population) by a branch of the obturator nerve called the accessory obturator nerve. The femoral nerve is always present and provides the sole innervation for the pectineus muscle in over 90% of cases. The muscle is also innervated by the accessory obturator nerve in 8.7% of cases.
The pectineus muscle's primary action is hip flexion, and it also produces adduction and external rotation of the hip. It assists in hip adduction and flexion and is one of the muscles located on the medial thigh. It is a prime mover and a postural muscle as it stabilizes the pelvis and balances the trunk on the lower extremity during walking.
The pectineus muscle can become injured by overstretching, such as by stretching a leg or legs too far out to the side or front of the body. Injuries can also be caused by rapid movements like kicking or sprinting, changing directions too quickly while running, or even by sitting with a leg crossed for too long. Treatment of a pectineus muscle injury involves protecting the injured muscle from further harm, minimizing activities that use the muscle, and icing the injury to decrease swelling and pain.
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Rectus femoris
The rectus femoris is a muscle in the anterior (front) compartment of the thigh. It is part of the quadriceps femoris muscle group, which also includes the vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and vastus lateralis. The rectus femoris is the only muscle in the quadriceps group that crosses the hip and knee joints.
The rectus femoris is a two-way acting muscle, meaning it functions to extend the knee and assist the iliopsoas in hip flexion. It is also a hip flexor and plays a vital role in helping humans walk, run, jump, and kick. The muscle is prone to injuries such as strains, contusions, and tendonitis, especially in athletes who perform high-impact movements like sprinting, jumping, or kicking.
The rectus femoris has two heads originating from the hip bone and pelvis, stretching down to the kneecap. It is the most superficial and nearly vertically oriented muscle in the quadriceps group. The muscle is fusiform in shape, with superficial bipenniform fibers and deep, vertically oriented fibers. It arises by two tendons: the anterior or straight tendon, and the posterior or reflected tendon.
The blood supply to the rectus femoris comes from the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral (LCF) artery. The muscle is innervated by the femoral nerve, which originates from the lumbar nerve's L2, L3, and L4 nerve roots.
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Frequently asked questions
The muscles at the front of the thigh are called the quadriceps femoris, or simply quads.
The quadriceps femoris muscle group allows you to flex your hip (e.g. squatting or sitting) or extend your knee (e.g. standing or kicking). They are also used for running and jumping.
The quadriceps femoris consists of four or five individual muscles: the three vastus muscles (vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, and vastus medialis) and the rectus femoris. The fifth muscle, the tensor of the vastus intermedius, is the most recently discovered quad muscle.
The most common injuries to the quadriceps femoris are strains, or "pulled quads", which occur when the muscle fibres are overstretched. Contusions are also common, usually resulting from a direct blow to the front of the thigh.
Most muscle strains can be treated with the RICE protocol: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. You should also seek medical advice, as most mild-to-moderate quad injuries get better with nonsurgical treatments. However, a severe injury, like a torn tendon, may need surgery.
