Hip and Knee Muscle Movements: Iliopsoas, Sartorius, Gluteus Maximus, and More

Iliopsoas

Movement: Hip flexion

Acessory muscles: Rectus femoris, sartorius, TFL, pectineus

Started position: Short seated

Gravity eliminated: Side lying, clinician supports leg

Resistance: over anterior thigh- stabilize pelvis

Substitutions: Abduction and EROT( sartorius), adduction(pectinous), IROT (TFL)

Sartorius

Movement: Hip flexion, external rotation, adduction, knee flexion

Accessory muscles:Iliopsoas, rectus femoris, TFL

Start position: Patient supine or seated

Resistance: Resistance at both anterior thigh and

posterior shank

Substitution: If using more iliopsoas/rectus femoris, leg will move straight without EROT/Abd

Gluteus Maximus and Hamstrings

Movement: Hip abduction

Acessory muscles: Adductor Magnus, piriformis, gluteus medius

Start position: Standing and bent over table

Grav eliminated: Side lying, clinician supporting leg

Resistance: At posterior thigh- stabilize pelvis

Substitutions: Lumbar extension

Gluteus medius and minimus

Movement: Hip abduction

Acessory muscles: TFL, gluteus maximus

Start position: Side lying with test leg in air, opposite limb flexed to chest

Resistance: At lateral thigh, stabiilize torso/pelvis

Substitutions: Hip flexion, pelvis elevation, internal rotation form TFL

Tensor fascia latae

Movement: Hip abduction and flexion

Acessory muscles: Gluteus medius and minimus

Start position: Patient side lying with test leg in air, opposite limb flexed to chest

Grav eliminated: Supine

Resistance: at lateral thigh, stabilize torso/pelvis

Substitutions: pelvis elevation, hip flexion, hip abduction

Adductor longus, brevis, Magnus,pectineus,gracilis

Movement: Hip adduction

Acessory muscles: N/A

Start position:Side lying on the test side, clinician supports non test side in abduction

Resistance:At medial thigh

Substitutions: rolling out of side lying position to use extensor and flexors

Gluteus medius and minimus, TFL

Movement: hip internal rotation

Acessory muscles: adductor longus

Start position: Seated with hip and knee at 90, towel under thigh

Grav eliminated: supine with hip and knee flexed 90

Resistance: at lateral tibia, stabilize thigh

Substitutions: pelvic elevation, contralateral trunk flexion, hip adduction

Piriformis, obturator internus/externus, gemellus superior/inferior, quadratus femoris

Movement: Hip external rotation

Acessory muscles: gluteus maximus

Start position: Patient seated with hip and knee at 90, towel under thigh

Grav eliminated: supine with hip and knee flexed 90

Resistance: medial tibia, stabilize thigh

Substitutions:hip flexion/abduction(sartorius) ipsilateral trunk flexion

Rectus femoris

Movement: Hip flexion and knee extension

Acessory muscles: iliopsoas, pectineus TFL

Start position: Supine

Gravity eliminated: side lying

Resistance: distal thigh, stabilize pelvis

Substitutions:thigh rotation and abduction/adduction from accessory muscles

Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus

Movement: Knee flexion

Acessory muscles: gastrocnemius, popliteus, gracilis, sartorius

Start position: prone, can use belt to stabilize pelvis, tibia in neutral

Grav eliminated: Side lying( test leg up)

Resistance: distal tibia, stabilize at thigh

Substitutions: sartorius (hip flexion and EROT, Gracilis (hip adduction

Rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, medialis, intermedius

Movement: knee extension

Acessory muscles: N/A

Start position: short seated, bolster under thigh

Grav eliminated: side lying (test leg up)

Resistance: distal tibia, stabilize thigh

Substitutions:TFL (hip IROT)