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Information about Rectus Femoris Muscle

Muscles of the iliac and anterior femoral regions. (Rectus femoris visible near center.)
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. (The others are the vastus medialis, the vastus intermedius (deep to the rectus femoris), and the vastus lateralis. All four combine to form the quadriceps tendon, which inserts into the patella and continues as the patellar ligament.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 rectus femoris is considered a direct antagonist to the hamstrings. 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.)

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. 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.
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Muscles of lower limbs
ILIAC REGION/ILIOPSOASpsoas major - psoas minor - iliacus
BUTTOCKSgluteals: (maximus, medius, minimus) - tensor fasciae latae
lateral rotator group: piriformis - obturator externus - obturator internus - inferior gemellus - superior gemellus - quadratus femoris
THIGHanterior compartment: sartorius - quadriceps (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis) - articularis genu
medial compartment/adductor: gracilis - pectineus - adductor brevis - adductor longus - adductor magnus
posterior compartment/hamstring: biceps femoris - semitendinosus, semimembranosus
LEGanterior compartment: tibialis anterior - extensor hallucis longus - extensor digitorum longus - fibularis tertius
posterior compartment: superficial - calf/triceps surae (gastrocnemius, soleus) - plantaris deep - popliteus - tarsal tunnel (flexor hallucis longus - flexor digitorum longus - tibialis posterior)
lateral compartment: fibularis muscles (longus - brevis)
FOOTdorsal - extensor digitorum brevis - extensor hallucis brevis
plantar first layer - abductor hallucis - flexor digitorum brevis - abductor digiti minimi
plantar second layer - quadratus plantae - lumbrical muscle
plantar third layer - flexor hallucis brevis - adductor hallucis - flexor digiti minimi brevis
plantar fourth layer - dorsal interossei - plantar interossei
bold refer to the diagram at right.)

In the skull (8):
  • 1-9. cranium
  • 7. mandible
''In the middle ears (6):
  • malleus
  • incus
  • stapes
In the throat (1):
  • hyoid
In the shoulder girdle (4):
..... Click the link for more information.
anterior inferior iliac spine, which ends in the upper lip of the acetabulum.

It gives attachment to the straight tendon of the Rectus femoris and to the iliofemoral ligament of the hip-joint.
..... Click the link for more information.
acetabulum is a surface of the pelvis. The head of the femur meets with the pelvis at the acetabulum, forming the hip joint.

Structure

There are three bones of the os coxea (hip bone) that come together to form the acetabulum.
..... Click the link for more information.
bold refer to the diagram at right.)

In the skull (8):
  • 1-9. cranium
  • 7. mandible
''In the middle ears (6):
  • malleus
  • incus
  • stapes
In the throat (1):
  • hyoid
In the shoulder girdle (4):
..... Click the link for more information.
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 tuberosity of the tibia.

It is a strong, flat, ligamentous band, about 8 cm.
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"Quads" redirects here. For other uses see Quad
The quadriceps femoris (quadriceps, quadriceps extensor, guads or quads) includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh.
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Arteries are muscular blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.[1] All arteries, with the exception of the pulmonary and umbilical arteries, carry oxygenated blood.

The circulatory system is extremely important for sustaining life.
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The femoral artery is a large artery in the muscles of the thigh.

Structure

The femoral artery is a continuation of the external iliac artery, which comes from the abdominal aorta.
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  • Accessory nerve
  • Accessory obturator nerve
  • Alderman's nerve
  • Anococcygeal nerve
  • Ansa cervicalis
  • Anterior interosseous nerve
  • Anterior superior alveolar nerve
  • Aortic plexus
  • Auerbach's plexus
  • Auriculotemporal nerve
  • Axillary nerve

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The femoral nerve, the largest branch of the lumbar plexus, arises from the dorsal divisions of the second, third, and fourth lumbar nerves. It descends through the fibers of the Psoas major, emerging from the muscle at the lower part of its lateral border, and passes down between
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Kinesiology is the scientific study of the anatomy, physiology, and mechanics of body movement, especially in humans. [1] The word kinesiology is derived the Greek "kinesis" (motion) + the suffix -ology or -logy from the greek "logos" or "logia"(meaning a field of study).
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In human anatomy, the knee is the lower extremity joint connecting the femur and the tibia. Since in humans the knee supports nearly the entire weight of the body, it is the joint most vulnerable both to acute injury and to the development of osteoarthritis.
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Extension is a movement of a joint. For example, extension is produced by extending the flexed elbow. The arm is now straight; it has been extended. If the head is tilted all the way back, it is said to be extended.

The movement in the opposite directions is called flexion.
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hip is the bony projection of the femur which is known as the greater trochanter, and the overlying muscle and fat. The hip joint is the joint between the femur and acetabulum of the pelvis and its primary function is to support the weight of the body in both static
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flexion is a position that is made possible by the joint angle decreasing. The skeletal (bones, cartilage, and ligaments) and muscular (muscles and tendons) systems work together to move the joint into a "flexed" position.
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An antagonist is a kind of muscle that acts in opposition to the movement generated by the agonist and is responsible for returning a limb to its initial position.

Antagonistic pairs in houses

These antagonistic muscles are found in pairs called antagonistic pairs.
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In human anatomy, a hamstring refers to one of the tendons that makes up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the tendons of the semitendinosus, the semimembranosus, and the biceps femoris.
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"Quads" redirects here. For other uses see Quad
The quadriceps femoris (quadriceps, quadriceps extensor, guads or quads) includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh.
..... Click the link for more information.
The human body is the entire physical structure of a human organism. The human body consists of a head, neck, torso, two arms and two legs. The average height of an adult human is about 1.6 m (5 to 6 feet) tall. This size is largely determined by genes.
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The vastus medialis, often called the 'teardrop' muscle, is a medially located muscle of the quadriceps.

Function

Vastus medialis has been widely reported to be responsible for extending the leg the last 10%, however this commonly held claim has no basis, indeed
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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.
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The Rectus femoris muscle is one of the four quadriceps muscles of the human body. (The others are the vastus medialis, the vastus intermedius (deep to the rectus femoris), and the vastus lateralis.
..... Click the link for more information.
The Vastus lateralis (Vastus externus) is the largest part of the Quadriceps femoris. It arises by a broad aponeurosis, which is attached to the upper part of the intertrochanteric line, to the anterior and inferior borders of the greater trochanter, to the lateral lip of the
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The patella or kneecap is a thick, triangular bone which articulates with the femur and covers and protects the front of the knee joint. It is the largest sesamoid bone in the human body.
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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 tuberosity of the tibia.

It is a strong, flat, ligamentous band, about 8 cm.
..... Click the link for more information.
Fusiform means having a spindle-like shape that is wide in the middle and tapers at both ends.
  • Aneurysms can be classified as saccular or fusiform
  • In botany, a fusiform cell or other plant structure is spindle-like and tapers at both ends

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bipennate, and an example is afforded in the Rectus femoris.

External links

  • Bipennate at eMedicine Dictionary
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy.
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Aponeuroses (απο, "away" or "of", and νευρον, "sinew") are membranes separating muscles from each other. They have a shiny, whitish-silvery color, and are histologically similar to tendons, but are very sparingly supplied with blood
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anterior inferior iliac spine, which ends in the upper lip of the acetabulum.

It gives attachment to the straight tendon of the Rectus femoris and to the iliofemoral ligament of the hip-joint.
..... Click the link for more information.
acetabulum is a surface of the pelvis. The head of the femur meets with the pelvis at the acetabulum, forming the hip joint.

Structure

There are three bones of the os coxea (hip bone) that come together to form the acetabulum.
..... Click the link for more information.


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