Question

Highlight and name the origin and insertion areas for the; adductor brevis, adductor longus, adductor magnus, gracilis. Then, show their primary and secondary (and tertiary if they have three functions) functions/movements they produce

Answer 1

Adductor Longus

Origin: It arises by a rounded tendon from the front of the body of pubis in the angle between the pubic crest and the pubic symphysis.

Insertion: The muscle slope downward, backward, and laterally as a broad fleshy belly to be inserted into the middle one-third of the linea aspera.

Movements:

It is a powerful adductor muscle of thigh at the hip joint.

It is the medial rotator of thigh at the hip joint.

Adductor Brevis

Origin: It arises from the anterior surface of the body of pubis and the outer surface of the inferior ramus of the pubis in the interval between the gracilis and obturator externus.

Insertion: The muscle passes downward, backward, and laterally to be inserted along a line extending from the lesser trochanter of the upper part of linea aspera, behind the pectineus and upper part of adductor longus.

Movements:

It causes adduction of the thigh at the hip joint.

It causes flexion of the thigh.

Adductor Magnus:

Origin: The adductor part of the muscle arises from the outer surface of the ischiopubic ramus, mainly from the ramus of the ischium. The hamstring part arises from the inferolateral part of ischial tuberosity.

Insertion: The fibers of the adductor part is inserted in a linear fashion into the medial margin of the gluteal tuberosity, the medial lip of linea aspera, and the upper part of the medial supracondylar line up to the adductor hiatus. The fibres of the hamstring part are inserted into the adductor tubercle by a rounded tendon, which sends a fibrous expansion to the lower part of the medial supracondylar line below the hiatus.

Movements:

Adduction and medial rotation of the thigh at the hip joint.

The hamstring part is a weak extensor of the thigh at the hip joint and flexion of the knee.

Gracilis:

Origin: It arises from the medial margin of the lower half of the body of pubis and adjoining anterior part of the inferior pubic ramus.

Insertion: It passes downward, vertically on the medial side of the upper part of the medial surface of the tibia, where it is inserted between the insertions of sartorius and semitendinosus.

Movements:

It is the flexor of the knee joint.

It is the medial rotator of the leg.

It causes weak adductors of the thigh.