Muscles of the Hip & Knee

• Anterior Muscles of the Hip & Knee

  most anterior muscles of the hip + thigh flex the thigh at the hip + extend the leg at the knee, producing the foreswing phase of walking
• Posterior Muscles of the Hip & Knee

  posterior muscles of the hip + thigh extend the thigh + flex the leg

  = backswing phase of walking
• Medial Muscles of the Thigh

  the medial, or adductor muscles all adduct the thigh

  they have no effect on the leg
• Movements of the Thigh

  movements of the thigh (occuring at the hip joint) r accomplished largely by muscles anchored to the pelvic girdle

  the hip joint is a ball + socket joint permitting flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, circumduction + rotation
• Flexion of the Thigh

  the thigh flexors pass in front of the hip joint

  the most important thigh flexors r the iliopsoas (prime mover), tensor fascia lata + rectus femoris

  they r assisted in this action by the adductor muscles of the medial thigh + the straplike sartorius
• Extension of the Thigh

  thigh extension is effected primarily by the massive hamstring muscles of the posterior thigh

  during forceful extension, the gluteus maximus of the buttocks is called into play
• Abduction of the Thigh

  buttock muscles that lie llateral to the hip joint (gluteus medius + minimus) abduct the thigh
• Adduction of the Thigh

  thigh adduction is the roles of the adductor muscles of the medial thigh

  abduction + adduction of the thighs r extremely important during walking to shift the trunk from side to side + balance the body's weight over the limb that is on the ground
• Movements of the Leg

  at the knee joint, flexion + extension r the main movements

  the sole leg extensor is the quadriceps femoris muscle of the anterior thigh, the most powerful muscle in the body

  the quadriceps is antagonised by the hamstrings of the posterior compartment, which r the prime movers of leg flexion
• Iliopsoas


  iliopsoas is a composite of 2 closely related muscles (iliacus + psoas major) whose fibres pass under the inguinal ligament to insert via a common tendon on the femur
• Iliopsoas - Iliacus


  large fan-shaped more lateral muscle

  prime mover for flexing thigh or for flexing trunk on thigh

  
• Iliopsoas - Psoas Major

  longer thicker more medial muscle of the pair

  also flexes vertebral column laterally

  important postural muscle
• Sartorius


  straplike superficial muscle running obliquely across anterior surface of thigh to knee

  crosses both hip + knee joints

  flexes, abducts + laterally rotates thigh