Dominic Stone
The inner thigh muscles, also known as hip adductors, are responsible for bringing the thighs together and towards the centre or midline of the body. These muscles are crucial for balance and rotation of the legs and hips. The adductors include five muscles: adductor longus, adductor magnus, adductor brevis, gracilis, and pectineus. These muscles are prone to injury, especially in athletes, and require targeted exercises to strengthen and prevent injuries. Inner thigh exercises include a range of strengthening moves that can be adapted for different fitness levels, from beginners to experts.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Inner thigh muscles | Adductors |
| Number of muscles | 5 |
| Muscle names | Adductor longus, adductor magnus, adductor brevis, gracilis, pectineus |
| Muscle functions | Bring thighs together, stabilise hips, help with rotation, maintain alignment, enhance stability and balance |
| Muscle injuries | Common, can be treated with RICE protocol |
| Muscle stretches | Dynamic stretches (before exercise), static stretches (after exercise) |
| Muscle exercises | Squats, grand plies, lunges, deadlifts, leg presses, resistance bands, exercises with equipment |
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What You'll Learn
Adductor magnus
The adductor magnus is the largest muscle in the medial compartment of the thigh. It is made up of two parts: an adductor component and a hamstring component. The adductor component originates from the inferior rami of the pubis and the rami of the ischium, attaching to the linea aspera of the femur. The hamstring component originates from the ischial tuberosity, attaching to the adductor tubercle and medial supracondylar line of the femur.
The adductor magnus plays a similar role to the deltoid muscle. One part of the adductor magnus flexes the thigh and acts as a medial rotator, while the other extends the thigh and acts as a lateral rotator. Both parts adduct the thigh. The adductor magnus is a powerful adductor of the thigh, particularly when the legs are moved from a wide-spread position to a parallel position. The muscle's hip extension moment arm length changes with hip angle, and it is a more effective hip extensor than the hamstrings or gluteus maximus when the hip is flexed.
The adductor magnus is innervated by the obturator nerve and the sciatic nerve. The obturator nerve innervates the adductor component, while the sciatic nerve innervates the hamstring component. The obturator artery supplies most of the medial thigh compartment, including the adductor magnus. The adductor magnus receives its blood supply from the perforating branches of the profunda femoris artery, the medial femoral circumflex artery, and other sources.
Tight adductors can cause knee pain, especially in runners. Adductor canal syndrome is an unusual cause of acute arterial occlusion in younger men, resulting from arterial compression by an abnormal musculotendinous band from the adductor magnus.
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Adductor longus
The adductor longus is a large, fan-shaped muscle located in the medial aspect of the thigh. It is one of the five hip adductors, along with the adductor brevis, adductor magnus, gracilis, and obturator externus. These muscles are responsible for bringing the thighs together and play a crucial role in stabilising the pelvis during standing and walking.
The adductor longus originates from the anterior surface of the body of the pubis, inferior to the pubic crest, and lateral to the pubic symphysis. It inserts onto the middle third of the medial lip of the linea aspera, which is the line that runs along the middle of the back of the femur. The muscle lies in front of the adductor magnus and adductor brevis, and is lateral to the pectineus muscle while the gracilis muscle lies medially to it.
The adductor longus is innervated by the anterior division of the obturator nerve (L2-L4) and receives its blood supply from two arteries: the deep femoral artery (a branch of the femoral artery) and the obturator artery (a branch of the internal iliac artery). The proximal part of the muscle is supplied by the medial circumflex artery, which is a branch of the deep femoral artery.
The primary function of the adductor longus is to adduct the thigh at the hip joint, meaning it brings the leg towards the body's midline. It also plays a role in external and lateral rotation of the thigh, as well as flexion and anteversion. Adductor tendinopathy, or groin strain, is a common injury associated with this muscle, especially among athletes in sports that involve sudden changes in direction, such as soccer, football, and ice skating.
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Adductor brevis
The blood supply for the adductor brevis muscle typically comes from the deep femoral artery (profunda femoris) and its branch, the artery for the adductors. It can also be partially supplied by the medial circumflex femoral and obturator artery. The venous blood from this region is drained by the deep femoral vein, which follows the path of its artery before emptying into the femoral vein.
The adductor brevis muscle is primarily responsible for adduction of the thigh, especially when the thigh is flexed or during the gait cycle. It also plays a role in external rotation and flexion of the hip. All adductors of the thigh pull the leg medially when walking, helping to maintain balance and shift the centre of gravity onto the supporting foot.
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Gracilis
The gracilis is a spiral unipennate muscle in the medial thigh compartment. It is one of the five hip adductor muscles, along with the obturator externus, adductor brevis, adductor longus, and adductor magnus. The obturator nerve innervates the gracilis muscle via the lumbar spinal vertebrae. The gracilis muscle adducts, medially rotates (with hip flexion), laterally rotates, and flexes the hip, and also aids in flexion of the knee.
The gracilis muscle descends almost vertically down the leg and inserts on the medial tibia at the Pes anserinus, which is also the attachment site of the Sartorius and Semitendinosus muscles. The gracilis muscle is prone to strain injuries, resulting in adductor tendinopathy, which is common in soccer, hockey, football, and basketball athletes. Tearing of the muscles usually occurs in the proximal region near bony attachments at the pelvis.
The gracilis muscle is widely used in reconstructive surgery (graciloplasty), either as a pedicled flap or as a free microsurgical flap. Both pedicled and free flaps can be muscular or musculocutaneous. As a pedicled flap, the gracilis muscle can be used in perineal and vaginal reconstruction, after oncological surgery, in the treatment of recurrent anovaginal and rectovaginal fistulas, and in the treatment of anal incontinence. The gracilis microsurgical free flap is commonly used in the reconstruction of upper and lower limbs, in breast reconstruction, and in the restoration of forearm function or dynamic reconstruction of facial paralysis.
The gracilis muscle has a neurovascular supply consisting of major and minor pedicles. Major pedicles are areas where one artery (the major artery), two veins (venae comitantes), and the anterior branch of the obturator nerve enter the muscle. Minor pedicles are where one artery and two venae comitantes enter the muscle. Patients usually have one major pedicle going into the proximal anterior aspect of the gracilis, but some may have two. Once the major pedicle artery enters the gracilis, it can follow one of three intramuscular distribution patterns, known as types I, II, and III.
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Pectineus
The pectineus muscle is a flat, quadrangular muscle found in the superomedial part of the anterior thigh. It is one of the muscles located on the medial thigh, alongside a group of four primary large muscles: the adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, and gracilis muscles. These muscles primarily function in hip adduction. The pectineus muscle assists in hip adduction and flexion and is the most anterior adductor of the hip. Its primary functions are contributing to hip flexion and hip adduction, and it also internally rotates the thigh. The muscle's fibres pass downward, backward, and lateral, to be inserted into the pectineal line of the femur, which leads from the lesser trochanter to the linea aspera.
The pectineus is considered a transitional muscle between the anterior thigh and medial thigh due to its innervation by the femoral nerve (L2 and L3) and, in some cases, the obturator nerve. It is one of the few muscles classified into two compartments at the same time: the anterior and medial compartments of the thigh. The pectineus muscle can be injured by overstretching, such as stretching the leg too far to the side or front of the body, or by rapid movements like kicking or sprinting. Treatment of a pectineus muscle injury involves protecting the injured area, minimising activities that use the muscle, and icing the injury to reduce swelling and pain.
The pectineus muscle is related to several other muscles and structures. Laterally, it is connected to the psoas major muscle and the medial circumflex femoral artery and vein. The anterior surface of the pectineus forms the medial part of the floor of the femoral triangle, along with the adductor longus. This surface is covered by a deep layer of fascia lata, which separates it from the femoral artery, vein, and great saphenous vein. Posterior to the pectineus are the adductor magnus, adductor brevis, and obturator externus muscles, as well as the anterior branch of the obturator nerve.
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Frequently asked questions
The muscles on the inner thigh are called the adductors.
The inner thigh muscles help to stabilise the pelvis and hip joints, and keep the legs and hips in alignment. They also aid balance and rotation of the legs.
Some examples of inner thigh exercises include squats, grand plies, lunges, deadlifts, and leg presses.
One example of an inner thigh stretch is to stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, lift your right leg off the ground, and swing it like a pendulum from side to side. Another example is to sit on the ground with the soles of your feet together and your knees bent out to the sides, then lean forward while keeping your back straight.
Strengthening the inner thigh muscles can help improve stability and balance, prevent injuries, and enhance performance in various activities and sports.
