Hip and Thigh Muscles

Osteology of the Femur - Distal

  • Medial Epicondyle
  • Patellar surface: where patella articulates
  • Lateral Epicondyle
  • Lateral Condyle
  • Medial Condyle
  • Adductor Tubercle
  • Medial supracondylar line
  • Lateral supracondylar line
  • Linea Aspera
  • Pectineal line
  • Popliteal groove
  • Condyles cannot be palpated; Epicondyles serve as muscle attachments

Medial Thigh Muscles (Adductors)

Pectineus

  • Origin: pectineal line (pubis) and adjacent bone
  • Insertion: Posterior proximal femur (from base of lesser trochanter to linea aspera) – pectineal line of femur
  • Action: Hip adduction and flexion
  • Innervation: Femoral nerve
  • Adductor Hiatus: Allows the passage of vessels from the anterior to the posterior aspect

Adductor Longus

  • Origin: Superior ramus of pubis
  • Insertion: Linea aspera on 1/3 of femur
  • Action: Hip adduction
  • Innervation: Obturator Nerve

Adductor Brevis

  • Origin: Lateral to pubic symphysis on pubis and inferior ramus on pubis
  • Insertion: Posterior proximal femur and proximal 1/3 linea aspera
  • Action: Hip adduction
  • Innervation: Obturator nerve
  • Adductor brevis is deep to adductor longus; Brevis means ‘short’

Adductor Magnus (2 parts)

Adductor part
  • Origin: ischial ramus of inferior pubic ramus
  • Insertion: Posterior proximal femur, linea aspera, medial supracondylar line
  • Action: Hip adduction and flexion
  • Innervation: Obturator nerve
Hamstring part
  • Origin: Ischial tuberosity
  • Insertion: Adductor tubercle and medial supracondylar line
  • Action: Hip adduction and extension
  • Innervation: Sciatic nerve
  • Adductor magnus is deep to adductor brevis
  • Perforations for branches of Deep Artery of thigh

Gracilis

  • Origin: Lateral to pubic symphysis on pubis
  • Insertion: Medial surface of proximal shaft of tibia
  • Action: Hip adduction and knee flexion
  • Innervation: Obturator nerve

Clinical – Groin Strain

  • Iliacus and psoas muscles: True groin muscles (learn in Thorax and Abdomen unit)
  • Hyperextension
  • Adductor muscle group: Common groin muscles
  • Overstretching

Posterior Thigh Muscles (Hamstrings)

Biceps Femoris

  • Origin: Long head – upper ischial tuberosity; Short head – lateral edge of linea aspera
  • Insertion: Head of fibula
  • Action: Knee flexion, hip extension (long head only)
  • Innervation: Sciatic Nerve

Semitendinosus

  • Origin: Upper ischial tuberosity
  • Insertion: Medial surface of proximal tibia
  • Action: knee flexion and internal rotation, hip extension and internal rotation
  • Innervation: Sciatic Nerve

Semimembranosus

  • Origin: Ischial tuberosity
  • Insertion: Medial and posterior medial condyle of tibia
  • Action: Knee flexion and internal rotation, hip extension and internal rotation
  • Innervation: Sciatic Nerve
  • Semimembranosus is deep to semitendinosus

Clinical - Hamstring Strain

  • Hip or knee hyperextension
  • Combo of hip flexion or knee extension

Muscles of the Gluteal Region

Tensor Fasciae Latae

  • Origin: Anterior superior iliac spine; anterior iliac crest
  • Insertion: Iliotibial tract, which attaches to lateral condyle of tibia (Gerdy’s tubercle)
  • Action: Flexes hip joint, some hip abduction, internal hip rotation; stabilizes the extended knee
  • Innervation: Superior gluteal nerve

Iliotibial Band

  • Formed by the tensor fasciae latae and gluteus maximus
  • Originates on the posterior iliac crest
  • Inserts on Gerdy’s tubercle on the lateral tibia
  • More on the iliotibial band later (knee topic).

Anterior Thigh Muscles

Sartorius

  • Origin: ASIS
  • Insertion: Medial surface of tibia just below tibial tuberosity
  • Action: Hip and knee flexion
  • Innervation: Femoral nerve
  • FUN FACT: Sartorius is the longest muscle in the human body

Rectus Femoris

  • Origin: AIIS and ilium superior to acetabulum
  • Insertion: Quadriceps tendon
  • Action: Hip flexion, knee extension
  • Innervation: Femoral Nerve

Vastus Intermedius

  • Origin: Upper 2/3 of anterior and lateral surfaces of femur
  • Insertion: Quadriceps tendon
  • Action: Knee extension
  • Innervation: Femoral nerve

Vastus Medialis

  • Origin: Femur – intertrochanteric line, pectineal line, medial linea aspera, medial supracondylar line
  • Insertion: Quadriceps tendon
  • Action: Knee extension
  • Innervation: Femoral Nerve

Vastus Lateralis

  • Origin: Femur – intertrochanteric line, greater trochanter, gluteal tuberosity, lateral linea aspera
  • Insertion: Quadriceps tendon
  • Action: Knee extension
  • Innervation: Femoral Nerve

Tensor of the Vastus Intermedius

  • NEW MUSCLE!
  • Is it possible instead of QUADriceps femoris we have PENTcepts femoris?
  • The tensor of the vastus intermedius has been identified between vastus lateralis and vastus intermedius.

Quadriceps Tendon, Patella, Patellar Ligament

  • Best defined as one continuous structure
  • Patellar ligament is the continuation of the quadriceps tendon below the patella

Femoral Triangle

  • Important landmark for clinicians inserting a venous catheter
  • Tight pants – impingement of the lateral cutaneous nerve
  • Contents: Femoral nerve, artery, and vein
  • Boundaries
    • Inguinal ligament
    • Sartorius
    • Adductor longus
  • Floor: pectineus, adductor longus, and iliopsoas (iliacus and psoas major)
  • Be aware of the femoral triangle and it’s importance

Popliteal Fossa

  • Posterior knee, Diamond-shaped space
  • Important vessels/nerves travel from the thigh to leg through this fossa
  • Boundaries:
    • Superior-laterally: biceps femoris
    • Superior-medially: semimembranosus
    • Inferior-laterally AND interior-medially: lateral and medial heads of gastrocnemius, respectively
  • Roof: skin and popliteal fascia
  • Floor: femur, posterior capsule of knee joint, popliteal fascia covering the popliteus muscle
  • Contents: small saphenous vein termination, popliteal artery and vein (+ branches), tibial and common fibular nerves, posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh, popliteal lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels, fat
  • Be aware of the popliteal fossa