MUSCLES AND FASCIA OF LOWER EXTREMITY 163 



surface of the femur, outer surface of the femur in 

 front of and below the vastus externus, lower half 

 of the external intermuseular septum; fibers end in a 

 superficial aponeurosis which forms the deepest portion 

 of the common tendon. They arise from a series of 

 transverse arches with intervening bare spaces on 

 the front of the femur. Between the crureus and the 

 vastus internus most of the internal surface of the bone 

 is free. 



The common or suprapatellar tendon is inserted into 

 the forepart of the upper border of the patella, and a 

 few fibers are prolonged over its anterior surface into 

 the ligamentum patellae. A large, thick ligament sur- 

 rounding the patella and inserted into the tubercle of 

 the tibia. 



Subcrureus is the name of a few fibers which may be 

 regarded as the deepest layer of the crureus. Origin, 

 anterior surface of the femur in the lower fourth; 

 insertion, separated by a fat layer from the vasti into 

 the synovial membrane of the knee-joint. 



Hunter's canal is a three-cornered passage in the 

 middle two-fourths of the thigh, in the angle between 

 the adductors magnus and longus and vastus internus. 

 It is made a canal by a bridge of fascia, and contains 

 the femoral artery, vein, and long saphenous nerve. 



Nerves. Anterior crural for the quadriceps and 

 sartorius; superior gluteal for the tensor vaginae femoris. 



Actions. Satorius flexes the hip and knee with 

 e version of the thigh; rotates the leg inward. 



Quadriceps femoris extends the leg; not necessary 

 for the maintenance of the erect attitude. 



Rectus femoris also flexes the hip; its posterior head 

 is tense when the thigh is bent. Lower fibers of the 

 vastus internus draw the patella in. 



Tensor vagina femoris rotates the thigh in and 

 abducts, assisted by the gluteus maximus; counter- 

 acts the gluteus maximus, which tends to draw the 

 iliotibial band backward. 



