Quadratus femoris muscle
{{Short description|One of six small hip muscles in the lateral rotator group}}
{{Distinguish|quadriceps femoris}}
{{Infobox muscle
| Name = Quadratus femoris muscle
| Latin = musculus quadratus femoris
| Image = Posterior Hip Muscles 1.PNG
| Caption = The quadratus femoris and nearby muscles
| Image2 = Quadratus femoris muscle.PNG
| Caption2 = Muscles of the gluteal and posterior femoral regions with quadratus femoris muscle highlighted
| Origin = Ischial tuberosity
| Insertion = Intertrochanteric crest
| Blood = Inferior gluteal artery,
medial circumflex femoral artery
| Nerve = Nerve to quadratus femoris (L4-S1)
| Action = Lateral rotation and adduction of thighThieme Atlas of Anatomy (2006), p 424
| Antagonist =
}}
The quadratus femoris is a flat, quadrilateral skeletal muscle. Located on the posterior side of the hip joint, it is a strong external rotator and adductor of the thigh,{{Cite book |title=Color atlas and textbook of human anatomy |date=2003 |publisher=Thieme |author=Platzer, Werner |isbn=978-1-58890-159-0 |edition=5th rev. and enlarged [English] |location=Stuttgart |page=238 |oclc=54767617}} but also acts to stabilize the femoral head in the acetabulum. The quadratus femoris is used in Meyer's muscle pedicle grafting to prevent avascular necrosis of femur head.
Course
It originates on the lateral border of the ischial tuberosity of the ischium of the pelvis. From there, it passes laterally to its insertion on the posterior side of the head of the femur: the quadrate tubercle on the intertrochanteric crest and along the quadrate line, the vertical line which runs downward to bisect the lesser trochanter on the medial side of the femur. Along its course, quadratus is aligned edge to edge with the inferior gemellus above and the adductor magnus below, so that its upper and lower borders run horizontal and parallel.{{Cite book|last=Abrahams, Peter H. |title=McMinn's color atlas of human anatomy.|date=2003|publisher=Mosby |author2=Marks, S. C. |author3=Hutchings, R. T. |isbn=0-7234-3212-0 |edition=5th |location=Edinburgh |page=166 |oclc=50477357}}
At its origin, the upper margin of the adductor magnus is separated from it by the terminal branches of the medial femoral circumflex vessels.{{Cn|date=April 2025}}
A bursa is often found between the front of this muscle and the lesser trochanter.{{Cn|date=April 2025}}
Clinical significance
Groin pain can be a disabling ailment with many potential root causes: one such cause, often overlooked, is quadratus femoris tendinitis. Magnetic resonance imaging can show abnormal signal intensity at the insertion of the right quadratus femoris tendon, which suggests inflammation of the area.{{Cite journal|last=Klinkert|first=P.|year=1997|title=Quadratus femoris tendinitis as a cause of groin pain|url= |journal=British Journal of Sports Medicine|volume=31|issue=4|pages=348–349|via=BMJ|doi=10.1136/bjsm.31.4.348|pmid=9429017|pmc=1332577}} Since the muscle works to laterally rotate and adduct the femur, actions involving the lower body can strain the muscle. In addition, patients present with hip pain and an increased signal intensity of the MRI of the quadratus femoris have been shown to also have a significantly narrower ischiofemoral space compared to the general populace. The ischiofemoral impingement may be a cause of the hip pain associated with quadratus femoris tendinitis.{{Cite journal|last1=Torriani|first1=Martin|last2=Souto|first2=Silvio C. L.|last3=Thomas|first3=Bijoy J.|last4=Ouellette|first4=Hugue|last5=Bredella|first5=Miriam A.|date=2009-07-01|title=Ischiofemoral Impingement Syndrome: An Entity With Hip Pain and Abnormalities of the Quadratus Femoris Muscle|url=http://www.ajronline.org/doi/abs/10.2214/AJR.08.2090|journal=American Journal of Roentgenology|volume=193|issue=1|pages=186–190|doi=10.2214/AJR.08.2090|pmid=19542413|issn=0361-803X|url-access=subscription}} File:Quadratus femoris muscle.jpg
Additional images
File:Gray245.png|Right femur. Posterior surface.
File:Gray344.png|Structures surrounding right hip-joint.
File:Gray832.png|Nerves of the right lower extremity Posterior view.
File:Slide6hh.JPG|Quadratus femoris muscle
File:Slide1BIBI.JPG|Muscles of Thigh. Anterior views.
Notes
{{Reflist}}
References
{{Gray's}}
- {{cite book
| title = Last's Anatomy Regional and Applied
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=0qaiox_Vqd4C&pg=PA166
| first = R.M.H. | last = Mcminn
| publisher = Elsevier Australia
| isbn = 0-7295-3752-8 | year = 2003
}}
- {{cite book
| title = Color Atlas of Human Anatomy, Vol 1: Locomotor system
| first = Werner | last = Platzer
| edition = 5th | publisher = Thieme
| isbn = 3-13-533305-1 | year = 2004
}} (ISBN for the Americas 1-58890-159-9.)
- {{cite book
| title = Thieme Atlas of Anatomy
| publisher = Thieme
| isbn = 978-1-60406-062-1 | year = 2006
}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100715211225/http://www.ptcentral.com/muscles/musclelegs.html#quadratus%20femoris PTCentral]
- {{SUNYAnatomyLabs|13|st|04|09}}
{{Muscles_of_lower limb}}
{{Portal bar|Anatomy}}
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