8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

16

17

17

18

19

20

21

22

24

198

The muscles that surround the hip joint form three groups. The gluteal muscles arise

from the posterior musculature of the embryonic limb bud and are prime movers of the

hip joint. They create the characteristic profi le of the human buttocks. The deep hip

Hip Muscles

Muscles of the gluteal region, gluteus maximus removed on left

Posterior view

rotator muscles are closely associated with the body wall of the pelvic region. Five of the six muscles sit deep to the gluteal

musculature on the posterior aspect of the hip joint. The hip fl exors are deep body wall muscles of the abdominal wall that

have been annexed by the lower limb during development. These muscles, the psoas major and iliacus, form a pulley over

the superior ramus of the pubis on their descent onto the lesser trochanter of the femur.

Gluteal muscles Deep hip rotator muscles

1

2

4 5

6

7

7

8

9

13

14 15

16

17

18

20

28

25

26

1

2

4 5

6

7

7

8

9

13

14 15

16

17

18

20

28

25

26

199

Muscles of gluteal region, gluteus maximus and medius removed

Posterolateral view

Gluteal Muscles

 1 Gluteus maximus

 2 Gluteus medius

 3 Gluteus minimis

 4 Tensor fasciae latae

Deep Hip Rotator Muscles

 5 Piriformis

 6 Superior gemellus

 7 Obturator internus

 8 Inferior gemellus

 9 Quadratus femoris

10 Obturator externus

Hip Flexor Muscles

 11 Psoas major

12 Iliacus

Other Muscles and Structures

13 Biceps femoris

14 Semitendinosus

15 Semimembranosus

16 Adductor magnus

17 Adductor minimus

18 Gracilis

19 Vastus intermedius

20 Pelvic diaphragm

Gluteal muscles

Gluteal muscles Hip fl exor muscles

Deep hip rotator

muscles

Deep dissection of iliopsoas muscles

Anterior view

21 Transversus abdominis

22 Quadratus lumborum

23 Psoas minor

24 Pectineus (cut)

25 Iliotibal tract

26 Sacrotuberous ligament

27 Penis (cut)

28 Ilium

29 Femur

3

3

6 7

8

9

9

10

11

19

21

21

5

11

12

22 23

24

28

29

26

27

3

3

6 7

8

9

9

10

11

19

21

21

5

11

12

22 23

24

28

29

26

27

200

The four major muscles of the anterior

compartment form the quadriceps femoris

muscle group.The four muscles of this

Anterior Thigh Muscles

group converge to form the strong quadriceps tendon that surrounds all but the posterior surface of the patella.

As the sole extensors of the knee, the quadriceps are essential for running, jumping, and kicking. The sartorius,

which is the longest muscle in the body, is a knee fl exor. The small articularis genus raises the suprapatellar

bursa during extension of the knee. All of the muscles in this compartment receive their innervation via the

femoral nerve from the posterior divisions of the lumbar plexus.

Muscles of the thigh

Anterior view, left thigh

Muscles of the thigh, rectus femoris cut

Anterior view. left thigh

1

1

1

2

2

3

4 4

5

5

8

9

10

11

11 12

12

13

13

14

14

15 15

7

7

19

20

20

22

25

25

26

1

1

1

2

2

3

4 4

5

5

8

9

10

11

11 12

12

13

13

14

14

15 15

7

7

19

20

20

22

25

25

201

Deep muscles of the thigh

Anterior view

Anterior Thigh Muscles

 1 Rectus femoris

 2 Vastus lateralis

 3 Vastus intermedius

 4 Vastus medialis

 5 Sartorious

 6 Articularis genus

Other Muscles and Structures

 7 Tensor fasciae latae

 8 Transversus abdominis

 9 Rectus abdominis

10 Pyramidalis

 11 Iliacus

12 Psoas major

13 Pectineus

14 Adductor longus

15 Gracilis

16 Gluteus minimis

17 Obturator externus

18 Quadratus femoris

19 Inguinal ligament

20 Spermatic cord

21 Linea alba

22 Iliotibial tract

23 Femur

24 Inferior epigastric vessels

25 Penis (cut)

26 Rectus sheath

3

4

6

11 12

16

17

18

20

21

23

24

25

3

4

6

11 12

16

17

18

24

25

202

Dissection of medial thigh muscles

Anterior view, right thigh

Dissection of medial thigh muscles

Posterior view, right thigh

The six muscles of the medial compartment are all capable

of adducting the hip joint. The pectineus and four adductor

muscles all originate from a medial position on the pubis

Medial Thigh Muscles

and ischium and project laterally to insert on the posterior surface of the femur. The gracilis muscle differs from the others

in the group by crossing the knee joint in addition to the hip. It courses with the sartorius muscle as a fl exor of the knee. With

the exception of the pectineus and condylar part of the adductor magnus, all the muscles are innervated by the obturator

nerve, which arises from the anterior divisions of the lumbar plexus.

Medial Thigh Muscles

 1 Pectineus

 2 Adductor longus

 3 Adductor brevis

 4 Adductor magnus

 5 Adductor minimis

 6 Gracilis

Other Muscles and Structures

 7 Sartorius

 8 Iliacus

 9 Psoas major

10 Tensor fasciae latae

 11 Rectus femoris

12 Obturator externus

13 Vastus lateralis

14 Articularis genus

15 Gluteus medius

16 Piriformis

17 Superior gemellus

18 Obturator internus

19 Inferior gemellus

20 Quadratus femoris

21 Biceps femoris (short head)

22 Gastrocnemius

23 Plantaris

24 Soleus

25 Pelvic diaphragm

26 Transversus abdominis

27 Rectus abdominis

28 Spermatic cord

29 Sacrotuberous ligament

30 Femur

31 Penis (cut)

1

1

2

2

3

4

4

5

6

6

7

7

7

10 8 9

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

18

19

20

21

22

23

29

24

20

25

21

28

26

27

1

1

2

2

3

4

4

5

6

6

7

7

7

10 8 9

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

18

19

20

21

22

23

29

24

30

25

31

28

26

27

203

Muscles of the gluteal region and thigh

Posterior view, gluteus maximus removed on left

Like the medial compartment of

the thigh, the biceps femoris, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus

Posterior Thigh Muscles

arise from the embryonic anterior, or fl exor, musculature. The muscles of this compartment, the smallest

of the three thigh compartments, are long, two-joint muscles that share much in common. All three

muscles arise from the ischial tuberosity, extend the hip and fl ex the knee, and receive their nerve supply

via the tibial branch of the sciatic nerve (with the exception of the short head of the biceps femoris, which

is innervated by the common fi bular branch of the sciatic nerve). Often referred to as the hamstring

muscles, these muscles work with the sartorius and gracilis as the strong fl exors of the knee joint.

Posterior Thigh Muscles

 1 Biceps femoris (long head)

 2 Biceps femoris (short head)

 3 Semitendinosus

 4 Semimembranosus

Other Muscles and Structures

 5 Gluteus maximus

 6 Gluteus medius

 7 Piriformis

 8 Superior gemellus

 9 Obturator internus

10 Inferior gemellus

 11 Quadratus femoris

12 Adductor minimus

13 Adductor magnus

14 Pelvic diaphragm

15 Gracilis

16 Gastrocnemius

17 Sacrotuberous ligament

18 Iliotibial tract

19 Ilium

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16 16

17

18

19

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16 16

17

18

19

204

Thigh Muscles

Transverse section of right thigh

Inferior view, level at mid thigh

Anterior compartment

Medial compartment

Posterior compartment

 1 Rectus femoris

 2 Vastus lateralis

 3 Vastus intermedius

 4 Vastus medialis

 5 Sartorious

 6 Gracilis

 7 Adductor longus

 8 Adductor magnus

 9 Biceps femoris

10 Semitendinosus

 11 Semimembranosus

12 Femoral artery

13 Femoral vein

14 Hypodermis

15 Femur

16 Yellow bone marrow

17 Sciatic nerve

18 Saphenous nerve

1

2 3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

1

9

12

13

205

Superfi cial muscles of the anterior crus

Anterior view

Deep muscles of the anterior crus

Anterolateral view

The anterior compartment of the leg consists of

four muscles, all of which dorsal fl ex the ankle

joint and are innervated by the deep fi bular nerve

Anterior Leg Muscles

from the posterior divisions of the sacral plexus. These muscles sit in a tight fascial compartment anterior to the

interosseous membrane and between the tibia and fi bula. As their tendons cross the ankle joint they are held

fi rmly in place between the tibial and fi bular malleoli by two strong retinacular bands. Two of the muscles, the

tibialis anterior and fi bularis tertius, insert on the ankle. The other two muscles, the extensor digitorum longus

and extensor hallucis longus, reach the ends of the digits and also function as digital extensors.

Anterior Leg Muscles

 1 Tibialis anterior

 2 Extensor digitorum longus

 3 Extensor hallucis longus

 4 Fibularis tertius

Other Muscles and Structures

 5 Vastus lateralis

 6 Fibularis longus

 7 Fibularis brevis

 8 Gastrocnemius

 9 Soleus

10 Extensor hallucis brevis

 11 Extensor digitorum brevis

12 Interosseous membrane

13 Anterior tibial vessels

14 Extensor retinaculum

15 Tibia

16 Patellar ligament

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

10

11

11

12

13

14

15

15

16

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

10

11

11

12

13

14

15

15

206

Muscles of the crus

Lateral view

Deep muscles of the crus

Lateral view

The small lateral compartment, like the anterior

compartment, arises from the embryonic dorsal

limb muscles. The two muscles within this comLateral Leg Muscles

partment, the fi bularis longus and fi bularis brevis, are similar. They both arise from the lateral aspect of the

fi bula. They both pursue a pulley-like course behind the lateral malleolus, under the cover of a retinaculum,

in their passage to the bottom of the foot. They both plantar fl ex and evert the foot. The superfi cial fi bular

nerve, from the posterior divisions of the sacral plexus, supplies both muscles.

Lateral Leg Muscles

 1 Fibularis longus

 2 Fibularis brevis

Other Muscles and Structures

 3 Gastrocnemius

 4 Soleus

 5 Fibularis tertius

 6 Extensor digitorum longus

 7 Tibialis anterior

 8 Extensor hallucis longus

 9 Extensor digitorum brevis

10 Interosseous membrane

 11 Calcaneal tendon

12 Femur

13 Tibia

14 Fibula

15 Lateral malleolus

16 Patellar ligament

1

2

3

4

5

5

6

7

8

9

9

11

12

13

14

15

16

10

1

2

3

4

5

5

6

7

8

9

9

11

12

13

14

10

207

Superfi cial muscles of the crus

Posterior view Deep muscles of the crus

Posterior view

The posterior compartment of the leg comprises the large

muscle mass on the back of the leg that is often referred to

as the calf. This compartment has two distinct muscle

Posterior Leg Muscles

groups – a large superfi cial group and a smaller deep group. The superfi cial group, the gastrocnemius, the soleus, and the

plantaris, each insert on the calcaneus. The gastrocnemius and soleus combine to form the large tendocalcaneus, or Achilles

tendon. The smaller, deep group consists of four muscles, three of which form a pulley-like arrangement around the medial

malleolus. These are the fl exor hallucis longus, fl exor digitorum longus, and tibialis anterior. The fourth muscle in the group

is the deeply situated popliteus that occupies the fl oor of the popliteal fossa.

Posterior Leg Muscles

 1 Tibialis posterior

 2 Flexor digitorum longus

 3 Flexor hallucis longus

 4 Popliteus

 5 Plantaris

 6 Soleus

 7 Gastrocnemius

Other Muscles and Structures

 8 Fibularis brevis

 9 Fibularis longus (tendon)

10 Flexor digitorum brevis

 11 Abductor hallucis

12 Flexor hallucis brevis

13 Abductor digiti minimi

14 Calcaneal tendon

15 Fibula

1

2

2

3

3

4

5

5

6

6

7

7 7

8

8