The pectineus, sartorius, and quadriceps femoris are the three primary muscles of the anterior thigh. In addition to these, the iliopsoas muscle's tendon enters the anterior compartment. The pectineus and sartorius attach to the pelvis and legs, respectively, while the quadriceps femoris extends the knee joint.
The quadriceps femoris consists of four muscles: the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, rectus femoris, and popliteus. These muscles act together to extend the leg at the hip and bend it at the knee.
The sartorius acts as a cross-over muscle for the legs, helping flex the hip and extend the knee. It arises from the sacrum and connects to the front of the pelvic girdle just below the rib cage. The sartorius provides support to the abdomen and helps rotate the thigh inwardly and outwardly. It also assists in extending the elbow and lifting the arm above your head.
The pectineus is a small, flat muscle that lies beneath the quadriceps femoris. It acts to flex the hip and extend the knee. It originates on the spine and inserts into both the trochanteric notch and the posterior surface of the femur.
The anterior compartment of the thigh's job is to extend the leg at the knee joint. The anterior compartment of the leg is made up of three primary muscles (really, two muscles and one muscular group): the pectineus, sartorius, and quadriceps femoris. These muscles act in unison to extend the leg.
The posterior compartment of the thigh is responsible for flexing the hip and bending the knee. The main muscle of the posterior compartment is the gluteus maximus. Also contributing to this muscle's activity is the hamstring muscle group, which includes the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and gracilis muscles. Together, these muscles help rotate the thigh inward and downward, bringing the foot toward the buttocks.
There are several smaller muscles that contribute to movement of the thigh, including the adductor magnus, adductor brevis, abductor hallucis, and the quadratus lumborum. The adductors attach on either side of the pelvis and act to draw the thigh forward and down toward the floor. The abduadtors pull the thigh backward and upward, helping to lift it off the floor. The quadratus lumborum is a large flat muscle located beneath the lateral portion of the spine. It helps rotate the thigh laterally, or to the right and left. Last, the abductor hallucis is a small muscle that acts to raise the heel.
Structure and purpose The anterior compartment of the thigh's job is to extend the leg at the knee joint. These muscles act in concert to bend the knee and rotate the foot inwardly or outwardly.
The quadriceps femoris are four large muscles that lie deep within the hip and thigh bone. They provide the majority of the power when walking or running. When you lift your leg up into the air, it is the quads that really pull it upward. The quads are also important for rotating the thigh bone (femur) around its upper end (the hip). This action opens and closes the chest cavity, helping us breathe.
The sartorius is a small but very important muscle that lies along with the quadriceps femoris on top of the shinbone (tibia). Together, these muscles form what is known as the posterior compartment of the thigh. The main function of this compartment is to flex or bend the knee. It does this by pulling the leg up toward the body or down toward the floor.
The pectineus is a small flat muscle that lies under the sartorius and attaches to the front of the pelvis. It acts to flex the ankle and foot during walking.
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