| Rectus femoris muscle | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Muscles of the iliac and anterior femoral regions. (Rectus femoris visible near center. ) | |
| Gray's | subject #128 470 |
| Origin | anterior inferior iliac spine and the exterior surface of the bony ridge which forms the iliac portion of the acetabulum |
| Insertion | inserts into the patellar tendon as on of the four quadriceps muscles |
| Artery: | femoral artery |
| Nerve: | femoral nerve |
| Action: | knee extension; hip flexion |
| Antagonist: | Hamstring |
The Rectus femoris muscle is one of the four quadriceps muscles of the human body. A typical Adult Human skeleton commonly consists of 206 208 or more bones depending on the method used in counting Below the Sartorius notch of the anterior border of the ala of the ilium is the anterior inferior iliac spine, which ends in the upper lip of the Acetabulum The acetabulum is a concave surface of the Pelvis. The head of the femur meets with the pelvis at the acetabulum forming the hip Joint A typical Adult Human skeleton commonly consists of 206 208 or more bones depending on the method used in counting The patellar ligament ( anterior ligament) is the central portion of the common tendon of the Quadriceps femoris, which is continued from the Patella to "Quads" redirects here For other uses see Quad The quadriceps femoris ( Latin for "four-headed of the femur" also Arteries are Blood vessels that carry blood away from the Heart. The femoral artery is a large Artery in the muscles of the Thigh. Accessory nerve Accessory obturator nerve Alderman's nerve Anococcygeal nerve Ansa The femoral nerve, the largest branch of the Lumbar plexus, arises from the dorsal divisions of the second third and fourth Lumbar nerves. Kinesiology, also known as Human Kinetics, is the science of human movement The knee is the lower extremity Joint connecting the Femur, Patella, and the Tibia. Extension is a movement of a joint that results in increased angle between two bones or body surfaces at a joint In Anatomy, flexion is a position that is made possible by the joint angle decreasing An antagonist is a classification used to describe a Muscle that acts in opposition to the specific movement generated by the agonist and is responsible for In Human anatomy, a hamstring refers to one of the Tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee "Quads" redirects here For other uses see Quad The quadriceps femoris ( Latin for "four-headed of the femur" also The human body is the entire physical and mental structure of a Human Organism. (The others are the vastus medialis, the vastus intermedius (deep to the rectus femoris), and the vastus lateralis. The vastus medialis, often called the 'teardrop' muscle is a Medially located Muscle of the Quadriceps. The Vastus intermedius (Crureus arises from the front and lateral surfaces of the body of the femur in its upper two-thirds and from the lower part of the lateral intermuscular septum The Rectus femoris muscle is one of the four Quadriceps muscles of the Human body. The Vastus lateralis (Vastus externus is the largest part of the Quadriceps femoris. All four combine to form the quadriceps tendon, which inserts into the patella and continues as the patellar ligament. The patella or kneecap is a thick triangular Bone which articulates with the Femur and covers and protects the knee joint The patellar ligament ( anterior ligament) is the central portion of the common tendon of the Quadriceps femoris, which is continued from the Patella to )
The Rectus femoris is situated in the middle of the front of the thigh; it is fusiform in shape, and its superficial fibers are arranged in a bipenniform manner, the deep fibers running straight down to the deep aponeurosis. A modification of the Unipennate condition is found where oblique fibers converge to both sides of a central tendon these are called bipennate, and an example is afforded in
Contents |
Origin and insertion
It arises by two tendons: one, the anterior or straight, from the anterior inferior iliac spine; the other, the posterior or reflected, from a groove above the brim of the acetabulum. Below the Sartorius notch of the anterior border of the ala of the ilium is the anterior inferior iliac spine, which ends in the upper lip of the Acetabulum The acetabulum is a concave surface of the Pelvis. The head of the femur meets with the pelvis at the acetabulum forming the hip Joint
The two unite at an acute angle, and spread into an aponeurosis which is prolonged downward on the anterior surface of the muscle, and from this the muscular fibers arise.
The muscle ends in a broad and thick aponeurosis which occupies the lower two-thirds of its posterior surface, and, gradually becoming narrowed into a flattened tendon, is inserted into the base of the patella. The patella or kneecap is a thick triangular Bone which articulates with the Femur and covers and protects the knee joint
Functions
- Hip Flexion
- Knee Extension
The rectus femoris is the only muscle in the quadriceps group that is involved in hip flexion, since it is the only one that originates in the pelvis and not the femur. "Quads" redirects here For other uses see Quad The quadriceps femoris ( Latin for "four-headed of the femur" also The pelvis (pl pelvises or pelves) or pelvic girdle is the irregular bony structure located at the base of the spine (properly known The femur is the thigh bone In Humans, it is the longest, most voluminous and strongest Bone.
The rectus femoris is a weaker hip flexor when the knee is extended because it is already shortened and thus suffers from active insufficiency. In essence: the action of raising a straightened leg will recruit more iliacus, psoas major, tensor fasciae latae, and the remaining hip flexors than it will the rectus femoris. The Iliacus is a flat triangular muscle which fills the Iliac fossa. The Psoas major is a long fusiform muscle placed on the side of the lumbar region of the Vertebral column and brim of the Lesser pelvis. The tensor fasciae latae or tensor fasciæ latæ is a Muscle of the Thigh. In Human anatomy, the hip flexors are a group of Skeletal muscles that act to flex the Femur onto the Lumbo-pelvic complex, i
Similarly, the rectus femoris is not dominant in knee extension when the hip is flexed since it is already shortened and thus suffers from active insufficiency. In essence: the action of extending a leg from a seated position is primarily driven by the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius, and less by the rectus femoris. The Vastus lateralis (Vastus externus is the largest part of the Quadriceps femoris. The vastus medialis, often called the 'teardrop' muscle is a Medially located Muscle of the Quadriceps. The Vastus intermedius (Crureus arises from the front and lateral surfaces of the body of the femur in its upper two-thirds and from the lower part of the lateral intermuscular septum
The rectus femoris is considered a direct antagonist to the hamstrings. An antagonist is a classification used to describe a Muscle that acts in opposition to the specific movement generated by the agonist and is responsible for In Human anatomy, a hamstring refers to one of the Tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee The hamstrings oppose the rectus femoris at the hip joint through extension and at the knee joint through flexion. Simultaneous contraction of the rectus femoris and hamstrings results in simultaneous hip and knee extension due to leverage (Lombard's Paradox. Lombard's Paradox describes a Paradoxical Muscular contraction in humans )
Additional images
 Structures surrounding right hip-joint. |  Cross-section through the middle of the thigh. |  The femoral artery. |  Nerves of the right lower extremity. Front view. |
External links
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. Loyola University Chicago is a private co-educational Jesuit university established in Chicago in 1870 as Saint Ignatius College GPnotebook is a British medical database for General practitioners (GPs The Medical University of Vienna (German Medizinische Universität Wien short MUW, formerly the faculty of Medicine of the University of Vienna, became an The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone Henry Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (or Gray's Anatomy as it has commonly been shortened is an English-language Human anatomy Textbook As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic