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SPORTS ANATOMY LESSON #2
The Hip or Thigh Flexor Muscles
The thigh flexor muscles (a.k.a. hip flexors) are a group of seven muscles located on both sides of the body. Their names are: 1) Psoas, 2) Iliacus, 3) Sartorius, 4) Vastus Rectus (a.k.a Rectus Femoris), 5) Adductor Longus, 6) Adductor Brevis, and 7) Pectineus. These muscles are shown in Figure 1 below:
Figure 1. The Thigh Flexor Muscles.
INNERVATION (NERVE SUPPLY)
The nerve supply to the thigh flexor muscles is as follows: The psoas muscle receives it’s nerve supply from the anterior branches of the lumbar plexus (L1, L2, L3, L4, & L5); The iliacus, sartorius, and vastus rectus receive their nerve supply from the femoral nerve (L2, L3, & L4 - a.k.a. anterior crural nerve). The pectineus, adductor longus and adductor brevis receive their nerve supply from the obturator nerve (L3,L4). The pectineus also receives additional nerve supply from the femoral nerve and the accessory obturator nerve. See Table 1 and Figure 2:
Table 1. Thigh Flexor Muscles and their Nerve Supply.
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MUSCLE |
NERVE SUPPLY |
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Psoas |
Lumbar Plexus (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5) |
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Iliacus |
Femoral Nerve (L2, L3, L4) |
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Sartorius |
Femoral Nerve (L2, L3, L4) |
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Vastus Rectus |
Femoral Nerve (L2, L3, L4) |
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Pectineus |
Obturator N (L3, L4), Accessory Obturator N, Femoral N (L2, L3, L4) |
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Adductor Longus |
Obturator Nerve (L3, L4) |
|
Adductor Brevis |
Obturator Nerve (L3, L4) |
Figure 2. LumboSacral Plexus. Anterior View.
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Function
The thigh flexors main function is to flex the thigh upon the pelvis. This occurs during activities such as running, jumping, and walking. This is illustrated in Figure 3 below:
Figure 3. Thigh flexed upon the pelvis.
Muscles involved: R-Psoas, R-Iliacus, R-Sartorius, R-Vastus Rectus, R-Adductor Longus,
R-Adductor Brevis, and R-Pectineus as shown.
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