Athena Vale
The thigh muscles are some of the largest muscles in the body, and they play a crucial role in many of our daily activities, such as climbing stairs, walking, and sitting. They are also prone to injury, especially in athletes, due to the strain put on them during running, jumping, and changing directions. These muscles enable us to flex, extend, and rotate our thighs and hips, and they bear most of our body's weight. The muscles that are responsible for flexing the thigh include the iliopsoas, pectineus, gracilis, sartorius, and tensor fasciae latae.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscles | Iliopsoas, Sartorius, Pectineus, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Adductors, Gracilis, Iliacus, Tensor Fasciae Latae, Gluteus Maximus, Vastus Medialis, Vastus Lateralis, Vastus Intermedius, Rectus Femoris |
| Muscle Shape | Long and thick, Long and thin, Flat and quadrangular, Fusiform |
| Muscle Actions | Flexion of the thigh at the hip joint, Extension of the knee joint, Adduction, Abduction, Lateral rotation, Medial rotation, Balance, Alignment |
| Innervation | Femoral nerve, Anterior rami of L1-3, Lumbar plexus, Obturator nerve, Superior gluteal nerve, Nerve to quadratus femoris (L5-S1) |
| Injury | Strains, tears, contusions, snapping hip syndrome |
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What You'll Learn
Iliopsoas
The iliopsoas muscle is a composite muscle formed from the psoas major muscle, the psoas minor muscle, and the iliacus muscle. The psoas major and iliacus muscles are separate in the abdomen but usually merge in the thigh. The iliopsoas is classified as an "anterior hip muscle" or "inner hip muscle".
The psoas major originates from the lumbar vertebrae and the iliacus originates from the iliac fossa of the pelvis. The psoas major and iliacus join together, passing under the inguinal ligament, and insert onto the lesser trochanter of the femur. The iliopsoas is the prime mover of hip flexion and is the strongest of the hip flexors. It is a typical posture muscle and is essential for correct standing or sitting lumbar posture, stabilising the coxofemoral joint, and is crucial during walking and running.
The iliopsoas gets innervation from the L2-4 nerve roots of the lumbar plexus which also send branches to the superficial lumbar muscles. The femoral nerve passes through the muscle and innervates the quadriceps, pectineus, and sartorius muscles. It also comprises the intermediate femoral cutaneous and medial femoral cutaneous nerves, which are responsible for sensation over the anterior and medial aspects of the thigh, medial shin, and arch of the foot nerves.
The iliopsoas muscle is a common site of bleeding in patients undergoing blood anticoagulation. It can also develop tendinopathy, which can cause chronic groin pain and limited hip range of motion.
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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. It is positioned more superficially than the other muscles in the leg, with only fascia and skin over its surface. 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.
The sartorius muscle is innervated by the femoral nerve. 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. The muscle may be absent in some people.
The sartorius muscle can move 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 plays an important part 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 name sartorius comes from the Latin word sartor, meaning tailor, and it is sometimes called the tailor's muscle. This name likely refers to the cross-legged position in which tailors once sat. One hypothesis suggests that the name refers to the location of the inferior portion of the muscle being the "inseam" or area of the inner thigh that tailors commonly measure when fitting trousers. Another hypothesis suggests that the muscle closely resembles a tailor's ribbon. Antique sewing machines required continuous crossbody pedalling, which would have resulted in tailors developing particularly strong sartorius muscles.
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Pectineus
The pectineus muscle is a flat, quadrangular-shaped muscle located in the anterior (front) part of the upper and
The pectineus muscle arises from the pectineal line of the pubis bone and extends laterally underneath the inguinal ligament to insert onto the pectineal line and linea aspera of the femur. The muscle has the most superior attachment of all the thigh adductors, originating from the pectineal line of the pubis on the superior pubic ramus. The muscle then slides over the superior margin of the superior pubic ramus and courses posterolaterally down the thigh.
The pectineus muscle is innervated by the femoral nerve (L2 and L3) and, in some cases, a branch of the obturator nerve called the accessory obturator nerve. The muscle is classified into two compartments at the same time: the anterior and medial compartments of the thigh. This dual compartmentalisation is reflected in the muscle's composite innervation.
The pectineus muscle can become injured through overstretching, rapid movements like kicking or sprinting, or even by sitting with a leg crossed for too long. Treatment of a pectineus muscle injury involves protecting the injured area, minimising activities that use the muscle, and icing the injury to decrease swelling and pain.
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Tensor fasciae latae
The tensor fasciae latae (TFL) is a fusiform-shaped muscle located in the proximal anterolateral thigh. It is the most anterior of the gluteal muscle group. The TFL is a relatively small muscle, but it works with several muscle groups to assist in the movement and stabilisation of both the hip and the knee.
The TFL originates from the anterior superior iliac spine and the outer lip of the iliac crest. It then descends over the lateral aspect of the thigh to insert into the iliotibial tract, which is made up of the fascial aponeurosis of the gluteus maximus and the tensor fascia latae. The iliotibial tract extends from the iliac crest to the lateral condyle of the tibia.
The TFL works in synergy with the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus to internally rotate and abduct the hip. It also assists the rectus femoris in the flexion of the hip. The TFL acts on the tibia via the iliotibial band's attachment to the Gerdy tubercle of the lateral tibia.
The TFL is an accessory knee flexor, with its action becoming apparent once the knee is flexed beyond 30 degrees. It also externally rotates and weakly flexes and extends the leg at the knee joint. The TFL is important for stabilising both the hip and knee joints and is crucial for pelvis stability during standing and walking.
The TFL is heavily used in activities such as horse riding, hurdling, and water skiing. Tightness or shortening of the TFL can lead to pelvic imbalances, resulting in pain in the hips, lower back, and lateral area of the knees.
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Rectus femoris
The rectus femoris is one of four muscles that make up the quadriceps femoris, or quadriceps muscle complex. The other three muscles are the vastus medialis, the vastus intermedius, and the vastus lateralis. The rectus femoris is the only muscle in the quadriceps group that crosses both the hip and knee joints. It is also the most superficial and nearly vertically oriented muscle in the anterior thigh compartment.
The rectus femoris acts as a hip flexor and assists the iliopsoas in hip flexion, especially if the knee is flexed. It also functions to extend the knee, generating the force needed for loading in the foot-flat phase of gait. The muscle is involved in activities that require forceful knee extension, such as kicking a soccer ball, and is hence referred to as the "kicking muscle".
The muscle is prone to injury due to its involvement in sports activities, trauma, and occupations requiring repetitive movement. Rectus femoris strain, also known as hip flexor strain, is commonly caused by forceful movements associated with sprinting, jumping, or kicking. The injury is typically a partial tear but can also be a full tear, resulting in sudden sharp pain at the front of the hip or groin, swelling, bruising, and an inability to contract the muscle.
The rectus femoris can be palpated and is supplied with blood by the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral (LCF) artery. It is innervated by the femoral nerve, which originates from lumbar nerve roots 2, 3, and 4.
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Frequently asked questions
The muscles that flex the thigh at the hip joint are the iliopsoas, pectineus, gracilis, sartorius, and tensor fasciae latae.
The iliopsoas is made up of the psoas major and iliacus muscles. The psoas major is a long, thick muscle that lies lateral to the lumbar vertebrae, and the iliacus originates from the iliac fossa of the pelvis. Together, they enable flexion and rotation of the thigh at the hip joint.
The pectineus is a flat, quadrangular-shaped muscle that contributes to the floor of the femoral triangle. It is responsible for flexion, adduction, and medial rotation of the hip.
The gracilis is a long, strap-like muscle that descends from the pelvis to the medial surface of the tibia. It flexes and adducts the thigh at the hip and flexes the leg at the knee.
The tensor fasciae latae is a fusiform-shaped muscle and the most anterior of the gluteal muscle group. It weakly flexes and extends the leg at the knee joint.
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