Logan Steele
The thigh muscles are skeletal muscles that attach to the bones with tendons, helping to move parts of the skeleton. They are made of bundles of muscle fibres containing blood vessels and nerve fibres. The thigh contains some of the body's largest muscles, which help to bend, flex, and rotate the lower body. The muscles of the thigh are prone to injury, especially in athletes, due to the strain put on them by movements such as running, jumping, and changing directions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Types of thigh muscles | Hamstrings, Adductors, Quadriceps, Pectineus, Sartorius, Iliopsoas, Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius, Gluteus Minimus, Tensor Fasciae Latae, Piriformis, Obturator Internus, Obturator Externus, Gemellus Superior, Gemellus Inferior, Quadratus Femoris |
| Iliopsoas muscles | Iliacus, Psoas Major, Psoas Minor |
| Iliacus nerve | Femoral nerve (L2-L4) |
| Psoas Major nerve | Anterior rami of spinal nerves L1-L3 |
| Psoas Major function | Flexes and laterally flexes the trunk, flexes and laterally rotates the thigh at the hip joint |
| Psoas Minor | Only seen in about 40% of people |
| Sartorius | Longest muscle in the body |
| Sartorius function | Flexor, abductor, and lateral rotator at the hip joint; flexor at the knee joint |
| Pectineus function | Flex and rotate the thigh at the hip joint |
| Hamstrings function | Extend the hip to move the leg behind the body, flex the knee |
| Adductors function | Bring the thighs toward each other, help with balance, keep the legs and hips in alignment, allow rotation through the hips and legs |
| Quadriceps function | Flex the hip, extend the knee |
| Thigh muscle injuries | Strains, tears, cuts (lacerations), contusions |
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What You'll Learn
Hamstrings
Hamstring muscles are skeletal muscles located at the back of the thigh, starting at the pelvis and extending to the knee. They are made up of thousands of long, elastic muscle fibres that help the leg muscles contract or tighten.
The three hamstring muscles are the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. These muscles are responsible for flexing the knee, extending the hip, and rotating the lower leg. For instance, the biceps femoris is located on the outside of the back of the thigh and is responsible for flexing the knee, extending the thigh at the hip, and rotating the lower leg from side to side when the knee is bent. The semimembranosus, on the other hand, is located on the innermost side of the back of the thigh and is responsible for flexing the knee joint, extending the thigh at the hip, and rotating the hip and lower leg.
Hamstring muscles play an important role in various daily activities, such as walking, climbing stairs, running, jumping, and controlling movement in the gluteus. They are crucial in the gait cycle during walking, where they absorb kinetic energy and protect the knee and hip joints. Hamstrings contract when the knee is bent and lengthen when the knee is extended.
Hamstring injuries are common, especially among athletes who run and sprint. These injuries can occur when suddenly stopping, slowing down, or changing direction, which puts a lot of strain on the muscles. A "pulled hamstring" or strain is a common injury, which can range from mild to severe. To prevent hamstring injuries, it is important to stretch, warm up, and avoid pushing through pain in the hip, knee, and leg.
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Adductors
The adductor magnus is the largest muscle in the group and is the most commonly injured. It lies posteriorly to the other adductor muscles. The adductor longus is a large, flat muscle that partially covers the adductor brevis and magnus. It also provides some medial rotation. The adductor brevis is a short muscle found underneath the adductor longus.
The gracilis is the most superficial and medial of the hip adductors. It crosses both the hip and knee joints, allowing for adduction of the thigh at the hip and flexion of the leg at the knee. Strains of the adductor muscles are common in sports, often referred to as ""groin strains," and can result from activities such as soccer.
Overall, the adductors play a crucial role in lower body movement and stability, and their strength and flexibility are essential for both daily activities and athletic performance.
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Quadriceps
The rectus femoris is a biarticular muscle that arises from the anterior inferior iliac spine and the superior edge of the acetabulum. It can flex the hip, which is crucial to walking or running as it swings the leg forward into the ensuing step. The other parts of the quadriceps arise from the surface of the femur. The vastus medialis plays the important role of stabilizing the patella and the knee joint during gait.
The quadriceps femoris muscle is a target for manual therapy and physical therapy from repetitive strain injuries, such as from skiing. The muscle is also often subject to trauma due to the stress it receives. The quadriceps can become a diagnostic tool in some pathological conditions, studying the intrinsic adaptations of muscle tissue. The muscle tissue flaps can be used to repair parts of the skull or other contractile districts.
The quadriceps femoris is innervated by the femoral nerve, which originates from L2, L3, and L4. The myoelectric balance of the quadriceps is essential for the correct movement of the patella. The proprioceptive afferents of the muscle contribute to maintaining adequate posture. The activation of these afferents allows the contralateral quadriceps muscle to improve its coordination, increasing postural balance.
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Iliopsoas
The iliopsoas is a group of muscles that includes the iliacus, psoas major, and psoas minor. The psoas minor is only present in 60-65% of individuals. The iliopsoas is an anterior hip muscle or inner hip muscle. The three muscles are separate in the abdomen but usually merge in the thigh.
The iliopsoas muscle is a common site of bleeding in patients undergoing blood anticoagulation. It is also a common site of tendinopathy, which can lead to chronic groin pain and limited hip range of motion. The iliopsoas is the prime mover of hip flexion and is the strongest of the hip flexors. It is also important for standing, walking, and running. The iliopsoas muscle is supplied by the lumbar spinal nerves L1-L3 (psoas) and parts of the femoral nerve (iliacus).
The psoas major is a long, thick, fusiform muscle that lies lateral to the lumbar vertebrae and medial to the quadratus lumborum. It originates from the T12-L4 vertebrae and descends to insert onto the lesser trochanter of the femur after fusing with the iliacus muscle. The iliacus is a large, triangular-shaped muscle that lies over the surface of the ilium, lateral to the lower part of the psoas major and psoas minor muscles. Its fibres merge with those of the psoas major around the level of the inguinal ligament to form the iliopsoas muscle.
The iliopsoas muscle is a typical posture muscle dominated by slow-twitch red type 1 fibres. It originates from the lumbar vertebrae and discs and then inserts onto the femur. A short and tight iliopsoas can cause pain in the low or mid-back, SI joint, hip, groin, thigh, knee, or any combination.
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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. The sartorius muscle originates from the anterior superior iliac spine and part of the notch between the anterior superior iliac spine and anterior inferior iliac spine. It runs obliquely across the upper and anterior part of the thigh in an inferomedial direction. It passes behind the medial condyle of the femur and ends in a tendon. This tendon curves anteriorly to join the tendons of the gracilis and semitendinosus muscles in the pes anserinus, where it inserts into the superomedial surface of the tibia.
The sartorius muscle is innervated by the femoral nerve, just like the other muscles in the anterior compartment of the thigh. It may originate from the outer end of the inguinal ligament, the notch of the ilium, the ilio-pectineal line, or the pubis. 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. It is important to note that the sartorius muscle may be absent in some people.
At the hip, the sartorius muscle can flex, weakly abduct, and laterally rotate the femur. At the knee, it can flex the leg, and when the knee is flexed, it medially rotates the leg. Sitting cross-legged demonstrates all four actions of the sartorius muscle. The sartorius muscle plays a crucial role in pelvis stabilisation, especially in women. This is due to the constrictive effect that the muscles on both sides of the body have on the pubic symphysis.
One of the conditions that can affect the sartorius muscle is pes anserine bursitis, an inflammatory condition of the medial portion of the knee. This condition is common in athletes due to overuse and is characterised by pain, swelling, and tenderness. The name "sartorius" comes from the Latin word "sartor," meaning "tailor," and it is sometimes referred to as the tailor's muscle. This name likely refers to the cross-legged position in which tailors once sat, or the location of the inferior portion of the muscle, which is the "inseam" area that tailors commonly measure when fitting trousers.
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Frequently asked questions
The thigh muscles are skeletal muscles that attach to bone with tendons, helping to move parts of the skeleton. They are made of bundles of muscle fibres containing blood vessels and nerve fibres. The thigh contains some of the largest muscles in the body, which are located on the front, back, and inside of the thigh. These muscles help to bend, flex, and rotate the lower body.
The iliopsoas group of muscles is made up of the iliacus, psoas major, and psoas minor. The iliopsoas muscles are the main flexors of the thigh. Other muscles include the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, tensor fasciae latae, and the sartorius.
Thigh muscles are prone to injury, especially in athletes, due to the movements involved in running, jumping, and changing directions. Thigh injuries can include contusions, muscle strains, tears, and cuts.
