Logan Steele
Adductors are a group of muscles that are located on the inner thighs and are responsible for bringing the legs towards the body's midline. This movement is called adduction. Adductors are important for lower body stability and mobility during daily activities such as walking, climbing stairs, and squatting. They are also crucial for athletes, helping to enable explosive movements such as running and jumping. Adductor strains are common sports injuries, and they can significantly impact daily life and physical activities. The adductor muscle group includes the adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, gracilis, and pectineus.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of muscles | 5 |
| Muscle names | Adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, gracilis, pectineus |
| Muscle shape | Triangular, fan-shaped, flat |
| Muscle size | Various, including the largest (adductor magnus) and smallest (adductor brevis) |
| Muscle location | Medial compartment of the thigh, inner thigh, upper inner thigh |
| Muscle function | Adduction, stabilization, balance, flexion, extension, rotation |
| Innervation | Obturator nerve, femoral nerve, tibial nerve |
| Blood supply | Femoral artery, obturator artery |
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What You'll Learn
Adductor longus
The adductor longus is a large, fan-shaped muscle located in the medial aspect of the thigh. It is one of the adductor muscles of the thigh, along with the adductor brevis, adductor magnus, pectineus, and gracilis muscles. The adductor longus is innervated by the anterior division of the obturator nerve (L2-L4).
The adductor longus is a long, triangular muscle that originates from the pubic bone and inserts onto the middle portion of the femur (thigh bone). It is the most anterior and superficial muscle of the adductor group. The muscle forms the medial border of the femoral triangle and lies in front of the adductor magnus and adductor brevis muscles. The pectineus muscle is lateral to it, while the gracilis muscle lies medially. The obturator nerve supplies the adductor longus, adductor brevis, and gracilis.
The adductor longus muscle plays a role in external/lateral rotation and flexion of the thigh. Along with the other hip adductors, it helps to stabilize the pelvis in a standing position and aids in balancing the body on the lower limb during walking. The primary function of the adductor longus muscle group is to adduct the thigh at the hip joint. The muscles in this compartment are believed to have evolved from both extensor and flexor columns.
Adductor tendinopathy, a common injury in sports such as soccer, football, and karate, is caused by a disproportionate strain on the adductor longus muscle, often due to a poor warm-up and lack of stretching.
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Adductor brevis
The adductor brevis muscle is a flat, triangular muscle located in the inner thigh. It runs from the pubis to the medial aspect of the femur. It is one of the thigh adductors and is involved in moving the thigh towards the midline of the body.
The adductor brevis muscle is part of a group of muscles known as the adductors of the thigh, which also includes the adductor longus, adductor magnus, gracilis, and pectineus muscles. These muscles work together to produce movements of the hip joint, including thigh adduction, flexion, and internal and external rotation. The adductor brevis is one of the shortest muscles in this group and is, therefore, a weak adductor of the thigh.
The blood supply to the adductor brevis muscle typically comes from the deep femoral artery (profunda femoris) and its branch, the artery for the adductors. Additionally, it can receive a partial blood supply from the medial circumflex femoral and obturator artery. The obturator nerve innervates the adductor brevis muscle, along with the adductor longus and gracilis muscles.
The adductor brevis muscle can be visualised in cross-sections and during dissections, where it can be differentiated from the other adductors of the thigh due to its anterior and posterior surfaces being crossed by the anterior and posterior branches of the obturator nerve, respectively. It is important to note that the obturator nerve can sometimes become entrapped as it passes through the obturator canal, leading to pain and weakness in the groin and medial thigh.
The adductor brevis muscle plays a role in maintaining balance and shifting the centre of gravity onto the supporting foot while standing and walking. It is involved in external rotation and flexion of the hip joint, although its contribution to lateral or medial rotation of the femur is still a subject of ongoing research.
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Adductor magnus
The adductor magnus is a large, powerful muscle of the lower limb, with its apex situated on the hip bone and its base on the linea aspera of the femur. It is a composite muscle with two distinct parts: the adductor portion and the hamstring portion. The adductor portion contributes to hip adduction and assists in hip extension, while the hamstring portion assists in knee flexion. The adductor magnus is a dynamic stabilizer of the pelvis and femur, as well as a prime mover of the femur into adduction.
The adductor magnus muscle is the largest and strongest muscle of the medial compartment of the thigh, which also includes the adductor longus, adductor brevis, pectineus, and gracilis muscles. The adductor magnus is situated in both the posterior and medial fascial compartments of the thigh, receiving dual nerve supply. The adductor portion is innervated by the obturator nerve, while the hamstring portion is innervated by the sciatic nerve.
The adductor magnus plays a similar role to the deltoid muscle. One portion flexes the thigh and acts as a medial rotator, while the other extends the thigh and is a lateral rotator. Both portions adduct the thigh. The anterior fibres originate from the rami of the pubis and ischium and may assist in flexion, while the posterior fibres arise from the ischial tuberosity and may assist in extension.
The adductor magnus is associated with various neurovascular structures. On its anterior surface, it is related to the pectineus, adductor brevis, adductor longus, femoral artery and vein, profunda artery and vein, and the obturator artery, vein, and nerve. On its posterior surface, it is related to the semitendinosus, semimembranosus, biceps, and gluteus maximus muscle. The medial border of the adductor magnus is connected to the gracilis and sartorius muscles, while its superior border is related to the obturator externus and quadratus femoris.
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Gracilis
The gracilis is a long, thin muscle located in the inner thigh. It is one of four primary hip adductor muscles, the others being the adductor longus, adductor brevis, and adductor magnus. The gracilis originates from the pubic bone and attaches to the inner side of the tibia, just below the knee joint.
The gracilis muscle performs hip adduction, bringing the thigh towards the body's midline, as well as hip flexion, hip internal rotation, knee flexion, and internal knee rotation. It crosses both the hip and knee joints. The gracilis is prone to strain injuries, especially in sports that involve ballistic movements or stretching, such as soccer, hockey, baseball, basketball, and martial arts.
The gracilis muscle is innervated by the anterior branch of the obturator nerve, which arises from the lumbar spinal vertebrae. It receives its blood supply from the medial circumflex femoral artery, a major artery that enters the muscle about 10 cm from the pubic symphysis. The gracilis may have one or two major pedicles, which are areas where one artery, two veins, and the obturator nerve enter the muscle. In some cases, there may also be minor pedicles, where one artery and two veins enter the muscle.
The gracilis muscle is also important in microsurgery and reconstructive surgery. It can be used as a pedicled flap or a free microsurgical flap for breast reconstruction, upper and lower limb reconstruction, and dynamic reconstruction of facial paralysis. It can also be used to treat anal incontinence and in the reconstruction of the ACL.
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Pectineus
The pectineus is a small, flat muscle located in the upper inner thigh, deep within the hip region. It is considered a transitional muscle between the anterior thigh and medial 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. The pectineus is the only adductor muscle innervated by the femoral nerve (L2, L3). However, in some cases, it may also receive innervation from two separate nerves of the lumbar plexus.
The pectineus muscle assists in hip adduction, helping to bring the thigh towards the midline of the body. It also aids in hip flexion, contributing to the forward movement of the leg. Additionally, it assists in hip internal rotation, allowing the leg to turn inward. The pectineus is involved in various movements, including running, skating, kicking a soccer ball, and playing basketball.
The pectineus muscle can become injured through overstretching, such as stretching the leg too far out to the side or front of the body. Injuries can also occur during rapid movements like kicking or sprinting, changing directions too quickly while running, or even by sitting with a leg crossed for too long. The most common symptom of an injured pectineus muscle is pain.
The pectineus muscle is often considered part of the hip adductor muscle group, although it has additional functions beyond hip adduction. It is classified in the medial compartment of the thigh when emphasising its function and in the anterior compartment of the thigh when emphasising its nerve.
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Frequently asked questions
Adductors are a group of muscles that function to adduct the femur at the hip joint. They are located on the inner thighs and are responsible for bringing the legs towards the body's midline.
The five primary adductor muscles are the adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, gracilis, and pectineus.
The adductor longus is a long, triangular muscle that originates from the pubic bone and inserts into the middle portion of the femur. Its main function is to adduct the thigh at the hip joint, bringing it towards the body's midline.
The pectineus is a small, flat muscle located in the upper inner thigh. It assists in adduction and flexion of the femur at the hip joint. It also plays a role in hip internal rotation.
