Kafrelsheikh

University
Faculty of physical Therapy
TITLE

‫التشريح األدمي‬
Anatomy of the quadriceps muscle

‫ سمرعبدالرحيم السيد االبشيهي‬:‫االسم‬

‫ االول‬:‫المستوى‬

1615120190100758:‫الكود‬

30105121601703:‫الرقم القومي‬

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 Kafrelsheikh
University
Faculty of physical Therapy
Abstract

To achieve any activity in our daily life, we have to use our muscles

properly. Our body is simply a mass of muscles attached to bones and

penetrated by nerves. These muscles differ in their importance. One of

the most important muscles in lower limb is quadriceps muscles. It is a

fleshy, strong, extensor muscle. It is formed of four muscles (vastus

medialis, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius and rectus femoris). These

muscles originate from femur in the thigh, but rectus femoris has an

additional origin from hip bone. These muscles inserted into tibial

tuberosity through the patellar ligament. This group of muscle is supplied

by femoral nerve.it is the largest branch of lumbar plexus. it arises from

(L2, L3, L4). The muscle does its action through instructions carried by

this nerve. It has an important role in walk, run and jump as it makes knee

extension, stabilizing of patella, maintenance of posture. Quadriceps is

indispensable, as if it was injured, that will make our life difficult.

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 Kafrelsheikh
University
Faculty of physical Therapy
introduction
How can we move? How does our body just respond to our desires to

move from just thinking in it? These thoughts come to mind to anyone

wants to know the answer. Well our body movement is under a certain

mechanism which is bigger than anybody to accommodate. Our moving

mechanism that anybody follows is simply a cooperation between

muscles, bones and nerves. So, if we want to walk, run, or even jump, we

need the action of our muscles especially the lower limb muscles. One of

the most important muscles in lower limb is quadriceps muscles.

DESCRIPTION
It is a large, important, extensor muscle, rather it is a group of muscles.

Actually, they are four muscles differs in their origins, but they have the

same insertion (common tendon). This group of muscles exactly occupy

;the front and both sides of the thigh. These four muscles are

RECTUS

FEMORIS

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 Kafrelsheikh
University
Faculty of physical Therapy
VASTUS MEDIALIS

VASTUS LATERALIS

VASTUS INTERMEDIUS

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 Kafrelsheikh
University
Faculty of physical Therapy
ORIGIN
these four muscles are in the anterior compartment of

the thigh, so they are mostly originating from femur.

Firstly, vastus medialis, from its naming we could

know it is on the medial side of the thigh but where

exactly? It originates from femur from its inferior

portion of intertrochanteric line, spiral line medial lip

of linea aspera, superior part of medial supracondylar

ridge. It also originates from medial

intermuscular septum.

Secondly, vastus lateralis. It is opposite to

vastus medialis, it is on the lateral side of the

thigh. It originates from greater trochanter

and superior portion of lateral lip of linea

aspera.

Thirdly, vastus intermedius, this

muscle is located between vastus

medialis and vastus lateralis. It

originates from superior 2/3 of

femur from both anterior and lateral

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 Kafrelsheikh
University
Faculty of physical Therapy
surfaces. It may also originate from lateral

intermuscular septum of the thigh.

Finally, the fourth muscle, rectus femoris.

It got that naming because it is a straight

muscle. It has two heads: straight head

originates from anterior inferior iliac spine,

and a reflected head which originates from a

groove just above acetabulum.

INSERTION

the four previous muscles combine together to form common

tendon which continues to become the patellar ligament then

inserted into tibial tuberosity. As large as these muscles are, as

well its tendon is. This tendon is a result of combining of the ends

of four muscles. It is strong, straight and large that it covers the

patella from its front, both medial and lateral sides (medial

retinaculum, lateral retinaculum). The patellar ligament is placed in

the area of knee joint, but it is not attached its contents as there is a

large pad of fat prevents its attachment to synovial membrane.

.Also, there is a bursa on tibia to prevent its attachment

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 Kafrelsheikh
University
Faculty of physical Therapy

ACTION
So that, the muscle could do its action correctly, there must be a

myoelectric balance between quadriceps muscles and each other. The

quadriceps action as a whole is: knee extension, stabilizing of patella,

maintenance of posture, proper stage of step/gait cycle, but rectus femoris

has an additional action besides actions above. As it makes flexion of the

thigh at hip joint. That’s because it is the only muscle in quadriceps to

cross by two joints (hip and knee joints). The four muscles of quadriceps

can do the actions above, but with different forces. An example for that is

vastus medialis, it concerns its force of contraction on the median axis of

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 Kafrelsheikh
University
Faculty of physical Therapy
femur so it has an important role in stabilizing the patella particularly its

horizontal fibers in the distal end.

NERVE SUPPLY

Quadriceps muscles are in the anterior compartment of the thigh, so it is

supplied by femoral nerve which is considered the main nerve in this

compartment, and the largest branch of lumbar plexus, as it rises from L2,

L3, L4. So that, femoral nerve could reach the quadriceps muscles it

descends from lumbar plexus in abdomen, passes behind iliac fossa to

inguinal ligament, then it divides into two branches: anterior, posterior.

Then it continues to femoral triangle. Quadriceps do its action through the

instructions carried by this nerve. If femoral nerve was injured,

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 Kafrelsheikh
University
Faculty of physical Therapy
quadriceps won’t do its function correctly and it will suffer from

paralysis, loss of sensation which results in inability to do knee extension.

IMPORTANCE

Quadriceps muscles are indispensable. Their function enables us to walk,

jump, run and squat, as their main function is knee extension, besides hip

flexion that rectus femoris muscle causes. If there is any weakness in the

muscles, we won’t be able to do our daily life activities correctly. There

are many reasons that cause muscle weakness, such as;

- Osteoarthritis

- Rheumatoid arthritis

- Disuse atrophy

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 Kafrelsheikh
University
Faculty of physical Therapy
- Disuse atrophy

References

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, February 21). Quadriceps femoris -

muscle. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:08, May 15,
,2020

-The editors of encyclopedia Britannica. (2018, December 7)

quadriceps femoris muscle. In encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved
May 15, 2020.

-physiopedia contributors. (2020, march 23). Quadriceps muscle. In

physiopedia, Retrieved 14:41, May 15, 2020.

bordoni, burno. Varacallo, matthew. (2018 October 27). Anatomy

of bony pelvis and lower limb, thigh quadriceps muscle. In
research gate. Retrieved May 15, 2020.

Images from google search engine

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