Muscles of The Lower Extremity
Introduction
The muscles of the lower extremity or the leg are considered as the strongest muscles in the body. They support the weight and stabilize the body for standing, walking, jumping and more all movement related activities.
The muscles of the lower extremity can be categorized as
- Muscles of the Glutes
- Muscles of the Upper Leg or Thigh region
- Muscles of the Lower Leg region.
The muscles in your upper leg include your quadriceps and hamstrings. The lower leg has the calf muscles that work with other muscles of the lower leg to help in feet movements.
Muscles of the Gluteal Region
Muscles of the Glutes:
Anatomically the Gluteal Region is an area located posterior to the pelvic girdle, at the proximal end of the femur. The gluteal muscles help to move the lower limb at the hip joint.
This muscle group consists of the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. The gluteus maximus is the most superficial and largest of the three muscles and makes up the bulk of the buttock area. This group of large muscles abduct and extend the femur.
Deep Muscles of the Glutes:
- Quadratus femoris
- Piriformis
- Superior Gemellus
- Inferior Gemellus
- Obturator internus.
Mainly acting to laterally rotate the femur and the hip.
These are the ” Deep lateral rotators “
Muscles of the Upper Leg or Thigh:
They support the weight of the whole upper body and help in the movement of the hips and legs.The legs comprise of the strongest muscles in the body and these muscles can be subdivided into 3 regions:-
- Anterior Muscles
- Medial Muscles
- Posterior Muscles
i) Anterior Muscles of the Upper Leg :
The anterior muscles of the upper extremity or leg are
- Pectineus
- Quadriceps Femoris
- Sartorius
These muscles help in balancing and stabilizing of the body. They allow to bend and extend the knees and also to flex and rotate the thigh at the hip joints.
Quadriceps Femoris:- The quads comprise of 4 major muscles namely
- Rectus femoris
- Vastus lateralis
- Vastus medialis
- Vastus intermedius
The main purpose of the quad muscles are as follows:-
- Helps to straighten the knee.
Absorb force when the heel hits the ground.
Flexion of the hip.
Help maintain correct posture and balance.
Move and stabilize the patella (kneecap).
Regulate your gait (the way you walk).
The quad muscles are on the front/ anterior of the thigh, above the knee and below the hip. Quad tendons attach them to the pelvis, hip bones, femur (thigh bones) and kneecaps.
Anterior & Medial Muscles
Gluteal & Posterior Muscles
ii) Medial Muscles of the Upper Leg :
The medial muscles refer to the group of muscle in the the medial part of the thigh and are also called the hip adductors.These muscles are
- Adductor Brevis
- Adductor Longus
- Adductor Magnus
- Gracilis
These muscles help with hip adduction (moving your leg toward the center of your body). They also allow to flex, extend and rotate the thigh.
iii) Posterior Muscles of the Upper Leg :
The posterior muscles refer to the group of muscle more commonly known as hamstring. They help to move the leg from front to back and rotate it at the hip socket.
- Biceps Femoris
Semimembranosus
Semitendinosus
Muscles of the Lower Leg
There are four anterior muscles in the anterior part of the lower leg. They extend from the knee down up to the foot. These muscles help to lift and lower the foot and extend the toes. These muscles are
- Extensor digitorum longus.
- Extensor halluces longus.
- Fibularis tertius.
- Tibialis anterior.
The posterior muscles of the lower leg are:
Calf muscles, which include the gastrocnemius and the soleus.
Flexor digitorum longus.
Flexor halluces longus.
Popliteus
Tibialis posterior.
The posterior muscles help in flexing and pointing of toes, jumping, running, lock and unlock the knees, maintain good posture, stabilize the foot and help in standing by supporting the arch of the foot.
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