Muscles of the Hip and Thigh - Human Anatomy | Kenhub

Overview

The tutorial organizes the muscles by location:

• Hip muscles: anterior hip muscles and posterior hip (gluteal) muscles.
• Gluteal muscles: superficial and deep groups.
• Thigh muscles: anterior, medial, and posterior compartments.

It reviews the muscles’ attachments, actions, nerve supply, and blood supply, then relates them to squatting and hamstring injuries.

Hip Muscles

Anterior Hip Muscles

• Psoas major and iliacus join to form the iliopsoas. They pass beneath the inguinal ligament and attach to the lesser trochanter of the femur.
  • Psoas major arises from the lower thoracic and lumbar vertebrae; iliacus arises from the iliac fossa.
  • The iliopsoas is the most powerful flexor of the thigh at the hip.
  • Iliacus is supplied by the femoral nerve; psoas major is supplied by the femoral nerve and lumbar plexus.
  • Blood supply: iliolumbar and medial femoral circumflex arteries.
• Psoas minor is a small muscle that lies over psoas major. It is absent in roughly 40–70% of people; when present, it is supplied by the lumbar plexus.

Posterior Hip: Gluteal Muscles

Superficial Gluteal Muscles

• Gluteus maximus attaches from the posterior ilium, sacrum, and coccyx to the gluteal tuberosity of the femur and iliotibial tract. It contributes to the shape of the buttocks.
• Gluteus medius and gluteus minimus arise from the gluteal surface of the ilium and attach to the greater trochanter.
• Tensor fasciae latae extends from the anterior iliac region to the iliotibial tract. The tract connects it and gluteus maximus to the tibia.
• Together, these muscles contribute to thigh extension, abduction, and rotation, and help stabilize the pelvis.
• Gluteus maximus is supplied by the inferior gluteal nerve; the other three muscles are supplied by the superior gluteal nerve. Blood supply comes from the superior and inferior gluteal arteries.

Deep Gluteal Muscles

• Piriformis: from the pelvic surface of the sacrum to the greater trochanter.
• Obturator internus: from the obturator membrane to the greater trochanter and trochanteric fossa.
• Superior gemellus: from the ischial spine to the greater trochanter.
• Inferior gemellus: from the ischial tuberosity to the greater trochanter.
• Quadratus femoris: from the ischial tuberosity to the intertrochanteric crest.

Their primary action is lateral rotation of the thigh at the hip. They receive their nerve supply from the sacral plexus and blood supply from the superior and inferior gluteal arteries.

Thigh Muscles

Anterior Compartment

• Sartorius is the body’s longest muscle, running from the anterior superior iliac spine to the medial surface of the tibia. It flexes the thigh and knee, abducts and laterally rotates the thigh, and medially rotates the knee. Sitting cross-legged demonstrates several of these actions.
• Quadriceps femoris consists of:
  • Rectus femoris, arising from the anterior inferior iliac spine and supra-acetabular area.
  • Vastus lateralis, arising from the linea aspera and greater trochanter.
  • Vastus intermedius, arising from the femoral shaft.
  • Vastus medialis, arising from the linea aspera and intertrochanteric line.
  • The four muscles converge into the quadriceps tendon.
• Articularis genu, a small muscle deep to vastus intermedius, runs from the lower anterior femur to the knee-joint capsule.
• The group’s principal action is knee extension. Sartorius and rectus femoris also flex the thigh at the hip.
• Nerve supply: femoral nerve. Blood supply: femoral and deep femoral arteries.

Medial Compartment

• Obturator externus: from the obturator foramen and membrane to the trochanteric fossa.
• Pectineus: from the pubic bone to the femur.
• Gracilis: from the inferior pubic ramus to the proximal medial tibia. Unlike the other muscles in this group, it attaches to the tibia rather than the femur.
• The adductors are:
  • Adductor brevis: inferior pubic ramus to linea aspera.
  • Adductor longus: pubic symphysis and superior pubic ramus to linea aspera.
  • Adductor magnus: pubic and ischial rami and ischial tuberosity to the linea aspera and adductor tubercle.
  • Adductor minimus: sometimes treated as a distinct portion of adductor magnus; attaches from the inferior pubic ramus to the linea aspera.
• The group primarily adducts the thigh and can also flex and rotate it.
• Main nerve supply: obturator nerve. Pectineus also receives femoral nerve fibers, and adductor magnus receives tibial nerve fibers. Blood supply: obturator and deep femoral arteries.

Posterior Compartment (Hamstrings)

• Biceps femoris: arises from the ischial tuberosity, sacrotuberous ligament, and linea aspera; attaches to the head of the fibula.
• Semitendinosus: arises from the ischial tuberosity and sacrotuberous ligament; attaches to the proximal medial tibia.
• Semimembranosus: arises from the ischial tuberosity; attaches to the medial tibial condyle and oblique popliteal ligament.
• These muscles primarily flex the knee and generally extend the thigh at the hip. The short head of biceps femoris is the exception to hip extension.
• Most are supplied by the tibial division of the sciatic nerve. The short head of biceps femoris is supplied by the common fibular division.
• Blood supply: deep femoral artery.

Movement and Clinical Points

• During a squat, gluteus maximus and the hamstrings help control the descent and extend the thigh at the hip to rise. The quadriceps extend the knee and also help push the body back up.
• A hamstring strain affects one or more muscles in the posterior thigh. It is common in sports involving sprinting or frequent starts and stops.
• Symptoms include pain and swelling at the back of the thigh. Suggested care includes rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE). Ibuprofen may help with pain and inflammation, and persistent symptoms may require physical therapy.
• Warming up and stretching before exercise may reduce injury risk by improving muscle flexibility.

Speakers and Sources

• One instructional narrator presents the anatomy lesson.
• Kenhub is the educational source associated with the tutorial; the subtitles do not identify any additional speakers.