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The hip joint is a connection point between the thigh bone (femur) and the hip bone (pelvis). The hip muscles can be divided into two main categories: the muscles of the hip joint and the muscles of the hip girdle. The hip joint muscles facilitate the movement of the hip joint, while the hip girdle muscles offer stability and support to the hip joint. The hip muscles include the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus, the iliopsoas, the adductor muscles, and the quadriceps femoris. These muscles work together to provide a wide range of movements, including flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, and rotation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Hip joint | Connects the thigh bone (femur) to the hip bone (pelvis) |
| Hip movement | Flexion, lateral rotation, medial rotation, abduction, adduction |
| Hip muscles | Psoas, iliopsoas, iliacus, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, tensor fasciae latae, adductor magnus, pectineus, adductors longus, brevis, gracilis, quadratus femoris, obturator internus, obturator externus, gemellus superior, gemellus inferior, rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, sartorius, hamstrings |
| Hip muscle functions | Flexing, abducting, extending, internally and externally rotating the thigh, maintaining an upright posture, walking, running, stabilising the pelvis, stabilising the hip |
| Hip muscle injuries | Strains, tears, dislocation, broken femur, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, dysplasia, limited range of motion |
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What You'll Learn
Hip flexors
The hip flexors are a group of muscles that are responsible for flexing the hip, or bringing the leg upward toward the body. The primary hip flexors are the psoas major and the iliacus, which, collectively, are often called the iliopsoas. The psoas originates from the lower six vertebrae of the spine, while the iliacus originates from the inside bowl of the pelvis. These muscles meet and insert at the top of the femur, or upper leg bone. The iliopsoas works to stabilise the trunk during activities such as lifting, pushing, and pulling. It also draws the knees toward the chest, such as when swinging your leg forward when running or kicking a ball.
The iliopsoas is the body's most important hip flexor. People who sit down for most of the day tend to have shorter hip flexor muscles, which can tilt the pelvis and change the way a person walks. Sitting for long periods causes the hip flexors to be in a compressed position, leading to shortened and tightened muscles. This can be an issue for athletes, especially runners and cyclists, who repeatedly use the hip flexors to lift their legs, shortening these muscles.
The rectus femoris is one of the quadriceps and a hip flexor muscle. It has two functions: to flex at the hip and to extend the knee. The sartorius, the longest muscle in the body, is also a hip flexor that crosses the hip and knee joints. It functions to flex the hip and externally rotate the leg. The pectineus is another hip flexor and secondary adductor.
To keep the hip flexors supple, it is important to get up and move around throughout the day. Performing stretches can also help to increase flexibility and mobility in the hip flexors. Tightness and weakness in the hip flexors can cause lower back pain, hip pain, and injury. Hip flexor exercises, including yoga poses, can help strengthen the muscles and relieve tension.
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Hip extensors
The hip extensors are a group of muscles that include the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and adductor magnus. The gluteus maximus is the primary hip extensor and the most powerful muscle in the group, responsible for more than 75% of the total power output. Other muscles in the group include the long head of the biceps femoris, the semitendinosus, and the semimembranosus. The hip extensor muscles are primarily active during the beginning of a stance and are used to prevent hip flexion. They are responsible for activities like jumping, running, and standing up, and play a key role in upward and forward movement of the body. They can also tilt the pelvis when the femur is stable.
Hip extension occurs when the hip joint is extended or "opened", increasing the angle between the pelvis and thigh. It is involved in many daily movements, such as walking, standing up from a chair, and climbing stairs. It is also important for sports activities such as sprint racing, running, cycling, uphill walking, and jumping.
Weak hip extensors can cause issues with movement and stability. Prolonged sitting and a sedentary lifestyle can weaken the hip extensor muscles over time. This can lead to an anterior pelvic tilt, where the pelvis tilts forward and down, putting excess pressure on the lower back and increasing strain on the hamstrings.
To strengthen the hip extensors, it is important to incorporate hip extension exercises into a workout routine. It is recommended to warm up before exercising and to focus on good form to get the best results and reduce the risk of injury.
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Hip abductors
The hip abductors are a group of muscles located on the lateral thigh that are responsible for most of the forces on the hip while standing on one leg. These muscles include the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and tensor fasciae latae. The secondary hip abductors include the piriformis, sartorius, and superior fibres of the gluteus maximus.
The hip abductors are crucial for maintaining balance and stability during walking, running, and athletic activity. They help to rotate the leg at the hip joint and move the leg away from the body. When the right leg is in the single-limb support phase of gait, as the left leg is swinging forward, the right hip abductors must supply an adequate contraction force to keep the pelvis from dropping down. Weakness in these muscles can cause pain and interfere with proper movement, such as in the case of knee valgus, where the knees cave inward, giving a "knock-kneed" appearance.
Weak hip abductors can lead to overuse injuries, patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), and iliotibial (IT) band syndrome. PFPS causes pain behind the kneecap when sitting for long periods or going downstairs. Hip abduction exercises can help strengthen the hip abductors and improve conditions like knee valgus and PFPS. Exercises to improve hip abductor strength include lying side leg lifts, clamshells, and banded side steps or squats.
Overall, the hip abductors play a critical role in hip health and function, and imbalances in these muscles can lead to compensations, misalignments, and increased stress on other structures.
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Hip adductors
The adductor longus is the most anteriorly placed muscle of the adductor group, originating from the anterior surface of the pubis bone and inserting onto the middle third of the linea aspera. It is innervated by the anterior division of the obturator nerve and contributes to the flexion and internal rotation of the thigh. The adductor brevis is a triangular muscle and the shortest of the adductors. It lies underneath the adductor longus and contributes to hip flexion and external rotation of the thigh.
The adductor magnus is the largest of the hip adductors, consisting of two parts: the adductor part and the ischiocondylar (hamstring) part. The adductor part contributes to the flexion of the thigh, while the hamstring part contributes to the extension of the thigh. The gracilis is the most medial and superficial muscle of the group, crossing both the hip and knee joints. It acts as a strong flexor and internal rotator of the leg at the knee joint. The pectineus muscle is not considered a primary hip adductor but assists in the movement and plays a role in hip flexion.
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Hip internal and external rotators
The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint that connects the thigh bone (femur) to the hip bone (pelvis). It is the second-largest weight-bearing joint in the body and permits a wide range of motion, including flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, external rotation, internal rotation, and circumduction. The hip joint also facilitates weight-bearing and provides balance and support for the upper body.
The hip external rotators include the piriformis, gemellus superior, obturator internus, gemellus inferior, and quadratus femoris. These muscles work together to rotate the hip externally or turn the thigh bone away from the midline of the body. The hip internal rotators include the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, tensor fasciae latae, and the anterior fibres of the gluteus maximus. They work together to rotate the hip internally or turn the thigh bone towards the midline of the body.
To improve hip rotation, it is important to strengthen and stretch the hip rotator muscles. This can be done through exercises such as active externally rotated leg lifts, passive external rotation stretches, and internal and external hip rotations from a flexed hip position. It is important to maintain a balanced hip abduction and adduction for overall hip health and function.
The gluteus maximus is the main hip extensor, aiding in maintaining an upright posture. The iliopsoas, a combination of the iliacus and psoas major, is the primary hip flexor and is crucial for walking, running, and other lower body movements. The adductor muscles, located on the inner thigh, are responsible for adduction, or the movement of bringing the leg towards the midline of the body. The psoas is the primary hip flexor, assisted by the iliacus and the pectineus, the adductors longus, brevis, and magnus, as well as the tensor fasciae latae.
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Frequently asked questions
The hip external rotators include the piriformis, gemellus superior, obturator internus, gemellus inferior, and quadratus femoris. They work together to rotate the hip externally or turn the thigh bone away from the midline of the body.
The hip internal rotators include the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, tensor fasciae latae, and the anterior fibres of the gluteus maximus. They work together to rotate the hip internally or turn the thigh bone towards the midline of the body.
The hip flexors include the psoas, iliacus, and rectus femoris. These muscles connect the front of the pelvis to the front of the thigh, rotating the front of the pelvis and the front of the thighs toward each other.
