Adductor magnus muscle
Encyclopedia
The adductor magnus is a large triangular muscle, situated on the medial side of the thigh
.
It consists of two parts. The portion which arises from the ischiopubic ramus
(a small part of the inferior ramus of the pubis
, and the inferior ramus of the ischium
) is called the "adductor portion", and the portion arising from the tuberosity of the ischium
is called the "hamstring portion". Due to its common embryonic origin, innervation, and action the hamstring portion is often considered part of the hamstring
group of muscles.
are short, horizontal in direction, and are inserted into the rough line of the femur
leading from the greater trochanter
to the linea aspera
, medial to the gluteus maximus
.
Those fibers from the ramus of the ischium are directed downward and laterally with different degrees of obliquity, to be inserted, by means of a broad aponeurosis
, into the linea aspera and the upper part of its medial prolongation below.
, and is connected by a fibrous expansion to the line leading upward from the tubercle to the linea aspera
.
, adductor brevis
, adductor longus
, femoral artery
and vein
, profunda artery
and vein
, with their branches, and with the posterior branches of the obturator artery
, obturator vein
and obturator nerve
.
By its posterior surface with the semitendinosus
, semimembranosus
, biceps
, and gluteus maximus
.
By its inner border with the gracilis
and sartorius
.
By its upper border with the obturator externus
, and quadratus femoris
.
while the hamstring portion is innervated by the sciatic nerve
.
openings, formed by tendinous arches attached to the bone. The upper four openings are small, and give passage to the perforating branches
of the profunda femoris artery
. The lowest (often referred to as the adductor hiatus
) is large, and transmits the femoral vessels to the popliteal fossa
.
of the thigh
, made especially active when the legs are moved from a wide spread position to one in which the legs parallel each other. The part attached to the linea aspera
acts as a lateral rotator. The part which reaches the medial epicondyle acts as a medial rotator when the leg is rotated outwards and flexed, and also acts to extend the hip joint.
. These two muscles are frequently separated by a branch of the superior perforating branch of the profunda femoris artery
.
Thigh
In humans the thigh is the area between the pelvis and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb.The single bone in the thigh is called the femur...
.
It consists of two parts. The portion which arises from the ischiopubic ramus
Ischiopubic ramus
The ischiopubic ramus is a compound structure consisting of the following two structures:* from the pubis, the inferior pubic ramus* from the ischium, the inferior ramus of the ischiumIt serves as part of the origin for the Obturator internus muscle....
(a small part of the inferior ramus of the pubis
Inferior pubic ramus
The inferior pubic ramus is a part of the pelvis and is thin and flat. It passes laterally and downward from the medial end of the superior ramus; it becomes narrower as it descends and joins with the inferior ramus of the ischium below the obturator foramen....
, and the inferior ramus of the ischium
Inferior ramus of the ischium
The Inferior Ramus of the ischium is the thin, flattened part of the ischium, which ascends from the superior ramus, and joins the inferior ramus of the pubis—the junction being indicated in the adult by a raised line....
) is called the "adductor portion", and the portion arising from the tuberosity of the ischium
Tuberosity of the ischium
-External links: - "The Female Perineum: Bones" - "Major Joints of the Lower Extremity: Hip bone "...
is called the "hamstring portion". Due to its common embryonic origin, innervation, and action the hamstring portion is often considered part of the hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
group of muscles.
Adductor portion
Those fibers which arise from the ramus of the pubisPubis (bone)
In vertebrates, the pubic bone is the ventral and anterior of the three principal bones composing either half of the pelvis.It is covered by a layer of fat, which is covered by the mons pubis....
are short, horizontal in direction, and are inserted into the rough line of the femur
Femur
The femur , or thigh bone, is the most proximal bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping, such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and horses, the femur is found only in...
leading from the greater trochanter
Greater trochanter
The greater trochanter of the femur is a large, irregular, quadrilateral eminence and a part of the skeletal system.It is directed a little lateralward and backward, and, in the adult, is about 1 cm lower than the head...
to the linea aspera
Linea aspera
The linea aspera is a ridge of roughened surface on the posterior aspect of the femur, to which are attached muscles and intermuscular septum.Its margins diverge above and below....
, medial to the gluteus maximus
Gluteus maximus muscle
The gluteus maximus is the largest and most superficial of the three gluteal muscles...
.
Those fibers from the ramus of the ischium are directed downward and laterally with different degrees of obliquity, to be inserted, by means of a broad aponeurosis
Aponeurosis
Aponeuroses are layers of flat broad tendons. They have a shiny, whitish-silvery color, are histologically similar to tendons, and are very sparingly supplied with blood vessels and nerves. When dissected, aponeuroses are papery, and peel off by sections...
, into the linea aspera and the upper part of its medial prolongation below.
Hamstring portion
The medial portion of the muscle, composed principally of the fibers arising from the tuberosity of the ischium, forms a thick fleshy mass consisting of coarse bundles which descend almost vertically, and end about the lower third of the thigh in a rounded tendon which is inserted into the adductor tubercle on the medial condyle of the femurMedial condyle of femur
The medial condyle is one of the two projections on the lower extremity of femur.The medial condyle is larger than the lateral condyle due to more weight bearing caused by the center of gravity being medial to the knee. On the posterior surface of the condyle the linea aspera turns into the...
, and is connected by a fibrous expansion to the line leading upward from the tubercle to the linea aspera
Linea aspera
The linea aspera is a ridge of roughened surface on the posterior aspect of the femur, to which are attached muscles and intermuscular septum.Its margins diverge above and below....
.
Relations
By its anterior surface the adductor magnus is in relation with the pectineusPectineus muscle
The pectineus muscle is a flat, quadrangular muscle, situated at the anterior part of the upper and medial aspect of the thigh....
, adductor brevis
Adductor brevis muscle
The adductor brevis is a muscle in the thigh situated immediately behind the pectineus and adductor longus.-Origin and insertion:It is somewhat triangular in form, and arises by a narrow origin from the outer surfaces of the superior and inferior rami of the pubis, between the gracilis and...
, adductor longus
Adductor longus muscle
In the human body, the adductor longus is a skeletal muscle located in the thigh. One of the adductor muscles of the hip, its main function is to adduct the thigh and it is innervated by the obturator nerve...
, femoral artery
Femoral artery
The femoral artery is a general term comprising a few large arteries in the thigh. They begin at the inguinal ligament and end just above the knee at adductor canal or Hunter's canal traversing the extent of the femur bone....
and vein
Femoral vein
In the human body, the femoral vein is a blood vessel that accompanies the femoral artery in the femoral sheath. It begins at the adductor canal and is a continuation of the popliteal vein...
, profunda artery
Profunda femoris artery
The profunda femoris artery is a branch of the femoral artery that, as its name suggests, travels more deeply than the rest of the femoral artery.-Structure:...
and vein
Profunda femoris vein
Profunda femoris vein is a large deep vein in the thigh. It receives blood from the inner thigh and proceeds superiorly and medially running alongside the profunda femoris artery to join with the femoral vein approximately at the level of the inferior-most portion of the ischial tuberosity....
, with their branches, and with the posterior branches of the obturator artery
Obturator artery
The obturator artery is a branch of the internal iliac artery that passes antero-inferiorly on the lateral wall of the pelvis, to the upper part of the obturator foramen, and, escaping from the pelvic cavity through the obturator canal, it divides into both an anterior and a posterior...
, obturator vein
Obturator veins
The obturator vein begins in the upper portion of the adductor region of the thigh and enters the pelvis through the upper part of the obturator foramen, in the obturator canal....
and obturator nerve
Obturator nerve
The obturator nerve in human anatomy arises from the ventral divisions of the second, third, and fourth lumbar nerves; the branch from the third is the largest, while that from the second is often very small.-Path:...
.
By its posterior surface with the semitendinosus
Semitendinosus muscle
The semitendinosus is a muscle in the back of the thigh; it is one of the hamstrings.-Structure:The semitendinosus, remarkable for the great length of its tendon of insertion, is situated at the posterior and medial aspect of the thigh ....
, semimembranosus
Semimembranosus muscle
The semimembranosus is a muscle in the back of the thigh. It is the most medial of the three hamstring muscles.-Structure:The semimembranosus, so called from its membranous tendon of origin, is situated at the back and medial side of the thigh....
, biceps
Biceps femoris muscle
The biceps femoris is a muscle of the posterior thigh. As its name implies, it has two parts, one of which forms part of the hamstrings muscle group.-Origin and insertion:It has two heads of origin;...
, and gluteus maximus
Gluteus maximus muscle
The gluteus maximus is the largest and most superficial of the three gluteal muscles...
.
By its inner border with the gracilis
Gracilis muscle
The gracilis is the most superficial muscle on the medial side of the thigh. It is thin and flattened, broad above, narrow and tapering below.-Origin and insertion:...
and sartorius
Sartorius muscle
The Sartorius muscle – the longest muscle in the human body – is a long thin muscle that runs down the length of the thigh. Its upper portion forms the lateral border of the femoral triangle.-Origin and insertion:...
.
By its upper border with the obturator externus
Obturator externus muscle
The obturator externus muscle is a flat, triangular muscle, which covers the outer surface of the anterior wall of the pelvis.It is sometimes considered part of the medial compartment of thigh, and sometimes considered part of the gluteal region....
, and quadratus femoris
Quadratus femoris muscle
The quadratus femoris is a flat, quadrilateral skeletal muscle. Located on the posterior side of the hip joint, it is a strong external rotator and adductor of the thigh, but also acts to stabilize the femoral head in the Acetabulum.- Course :...
.
Innervation
The adductor and hamstring portions of the muscle are innervated by two different nerves. The adductor portion is innervated by the posterior division of the obturator nerveObturator nerve
The obturator nerve in human anatomy arises from the ventral divisions of the second, third, and fourth lumbar nerves; the branch from the third is the largest, while that from the second is often very small.-Path:...
while the hamstring portion is innervated by the sciatic nerve
Sciatic nerve
The sciatic nerve is a large nerve fiber in humans and other animals. It begins in the lower back and runs through the buttock and down the lower limb...
.
Osseoaponeurotic openings
At the insertion of the muscle, there is a series of osseoaponeuroticOsseoaponeurotic
Osseoaponeurotic comes from the Latin osseus meaning bone, and Greek apo and neuron literally translated as "the end of the muscle where it becomes tendon". Osseoaponeurotic is an adjective referring to an object composed of bone and aponeurosis....
openings, formed by tendinous arches attached to the bone. The upper four openings are small, and give passage to the perforating branches
Perforating arteries
The perforating arteries, usually three in number, are so named because they perforate the tendon of the Adductor magnus to reach the back of the thigh....
of the profunda femoris artery
Profunda femoris artery
The profunda femoris artery is a branch of the femoral artery that, as its name suggests, travels more deeply than the rest of the femoral artery.-Structure:...
. The lowest (often referred to as the adductor hiatus
Adductor hiatus
The adductor hiatus is a gap between the adductor magnus muscle and the femur that allows the passage of the femoral vessels from the anterior thigh to the posterior thigh and then the popliteal fossa. It is the termination of the adductor canal and lies about 2 inches superior to the...
) is large, and transmits the femoral vessels to the popliteal fossa
Popliteal fossa
The popliteal fossa is a shallow depression located at the back of the knee joint. The bones of the popliteal fossa are the femur and the tibia.-Boundaries:The boundaries of the fossa are:-Roof:...
.
Action
The adductor magnus is a powerful adductorAnatomical terms of motion
The movement of body structures is accomplished by the contraction of muscles. Muscles may move parts of the skeleton relatively to each other, or may move parts of internal organs relatively to each other. All such movements are classified by the directions in which the affected structures are moved...
of the thigh
Thigh
In humans the thigh is the area between the pelvis and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb.The single bone in the thigh is called the femur...
, made especially active when the legs are moved from a wide spread position to one in which the legs parallel each other. The part attached to the linea aspera
Linea aspera
The linea aspera is a ridge of roughened surface on the posterior aspect of the femur, to which are attached muscles and intermuscular septum.Its margins diverge above and below....
acts as a lateral rotator. The part which reaches the medial epicondyle acts as a medial rotator when the leg is rotated outwards and flexed, and also acts to extend the hip joint.
Variation
The upper, lateral part of the adductor magnus is an incompletely separated division often considered a separate muscle — the adductor minimusAdductor minimus muscle
In human anatomy, the adductor minimus is a small and flat skeletal muscle in the thigh which constitutes the upper, lateral part of the adductor magnus muscle....
. These two muscles are frequently separated by a branch of the superior perforating branch of the profunda femoris artery
Profunda femoris artery
The profunda femoris artery is a branch of the femoral artery that, as its name suggests, travels more deeply than the rest of the femoral artery.-Structure:...
.