Sartorius muscle
From Free net encyclopedia
Template:Infobox Muscle The sartorius muscle, or according to the nomina anatomica Musculus sartorius, is a long thin muscle that runs down the length of the thigh. It is the longest muscle in the human body.
It attaches superiorly to the anterior superior iliac spine of the hip bone, and crosses over the front of the thigh, to insert at the medial side of the upper tibia in the pes anserinus together with the gracillis muscle and the semitendinosus muscle.
The name sartorius comes from the Latin word sartus meaning 'patched or repaired'. This refers to the cross-legged position in which tailors once sat. The action of sartorius is to cross the legs, by flexion of the knee, and flexion and lateral rotation the hip. Sartorius does not have a very strong action.
Situated in the anterior fascial compartment of the thigh, sartorius is innervated via branches of the femoral nerve. Sartorius forms the lateral side of the femoral triangle.
Anatomical details from Gray's
The Sartorius, the longest muscle in the body, is narrow and ribbon-like; it arises by tendinous fibers from the anterior superior iliac spine and the upper half of the notch below it. It passes obliquely across the upper and anterior part of the thigh, from the lateral to the medial side of the limb, then descends vertically, as far as the medial side of the knee, passing behind the medial condyle of the femur to end in a tendon. This curves obliquely forward and expands into a broad aponeurosis, which is inserted, in front of the Gracilis and Semitendinous, into the upper part of the medial surface of the body of the tibia, nearly as far forward as the anterior crest. The upper part of the aponeurosis is curved backward over the upper edge of the tendon of the Gracilis so as to be inserted behind it. An offset, from its upper margin, blends with the capsule of the knee-joint, and another from its lower border, with the fascia on the medial side of the leg.
Variations.—Slips of origin from the outer end of the inguinal ligament, the notch of the ilium, the ilio-pectineal line or the pubis occur. The muscle may be split into two parts, and one part may be inserted into the fascia lata, the femur, the ligament of the patella or the tendon of the Semitendinosus. The tendon of insertion may end in the fascia lata, the capsule of the knee-joint, or the fascia of the leg. The muscle may be absent.
External links
Template:Gray's Template:Muscles of lower limbde:Sartorius (Muskel) fr:Muscle sartorius nl:Sartorius fi:Räätälinlihas