Quadriceps

The quadriceps femoris muscle , m. Quadriceps femoris. Each of the four heads has its beginning, but, coming to the knee area, they all go into a common tendon that covers the patellar and attaches to the tuberosity of the tibia .

Thigh muscle , m. Rectus femoris, the longest of the four heads. Occupies the anterior surface of the thigh . It begins with a thin tendon from the inferior anterior iliac awn, the over-striae furrow. Going down, the muscle passes into the narrow tendon, which is part of the general tendon of the quadriceps muscle of the thigh. Having reached the tibia, the tendon of the muscle is attached to the ileum tuberosity. Below the patella this tendon is called the patellar ligament , lig. Patellae.

Medial broad thigh muscle, m. Vastus medialis, occupies the anterior medial surface of the lower half of the thigh. The muscle beams forming it are directed obliquely from the top to the bottom and from the inside to the front. The front is slightly covered with a straight muscle. The muscle originates from the medial lip of the rough thigh line and, going downwards, passes into a broad tendon that is partially intertwined into the common tendon along with the rectus muscle, and partially attaches to the medial edge of the patella, forming a medial supporting patellar patch.

Lateral thigh muscle , m. Vastus lateralis, occupies almost the entire anterolateral surface of the thigh. Above, it is somewhat covered by a muscle that strains the broad fascia, and in front - a straight muscle of the thigh. Muscle bundles are directed from the top to the bottom and from the outside to the front.

The muscle originates from the large spit, the intervertebral line and the lateral lip of the wide thigh line. Going down, the muscle passes into a broad tendon that forms part of the general tendon of the quadriceps muscle and participates in the formation of a lateral supporting patellar ligament.

Intermediate broad thigh muscle , m. Vastus intermedius, is located on the front surface of the thigh between the medial and lateral broad muscles, directly under the straight muscle of the thigh. This muscle is the weakest among the other heads. It starts on the front surface of the femur - from the intervertebral line and, going down, passes (almost half its length) into the broad tendon, which in the distal part joins the tendon of the rectus muscle of the thigh, passing into the common tendon of the quadriceps muscle.

Thus, all four of the muscles forming the quadriceps muscle of the thigh pass into the tendon, which includes the patella and is attached to the tuberosity of the tibia. In front and behind the tendon there are synovial bags: a) a subcutaneous prednadolkovnikovaya bag, bursa subcutanea prepatellaris; B) suprasclerotic bag, bursa suprapatellaris, under the quadriceps tendon, supernumerary; C) deep podnadkolennikovaya bag, bursa infrapatellaris profunda, at the attachment of the patellar ligament to the tuberosity of the tibia; D) subcutaneous podnadkolennikovaya bag, bursa subcutanea infrapatellaris, anterior to the patellar ligament; E) the tibial tuberosus of the tibia, bursa subcutanea tuberositatis tibiae, somewhat lower than the previous one, lies on the front surface of the patellar ligament; F) subfascial prednadolkovnikovaya bag, bursa subfascialis prepatellaris, between the tip of the front surface of the patella and the wide fascia of the thigh, unstable; G) the subcortical prednadolkovnikovaya bag, bursa subtendinea prepatellaris, in the thickness of the tendon of the quadriceps femoris, on the front surface of the patellar base, unstable.

Some of these bags can communicate with the cavity of the knee joint .

Function: the quadriceps muscle unbends all its heads to unbend the shin, due to m. Recti femoris takes part in flexion of the hip.

Innervation: n. Femoralis (plexus lumbalis) (LII-LIV).

Blood supply: aa. Circumflexa femoris lateralis, profunda femoris, a. Femoralis.