260 OUTLINES OF EQUINE ANATOMY. 



into the troclianteric fossa. Having examined tliese 

 muscles on the outer surface of the limb, we will now ex- 

 amine those which form the rounded fleshy mass on the 

 inside of the thighs. On removal of the skin from the 

 central line we expose gracilis, occupying the posterior 

 part of this region, sartorius centrally, vastus internus an- 

 teriorly placed. Between gracilis and sartorius pass a 

 large branch of the crural nerve and the vena saphena, to 

 gain the femoral space. They run from the hock over the 

 inner surface of the tibia and the thigh immediately 

 beneath the skin. 



Gracilis, supero-posteriorly, intercrosses its tendinous 

 fibres with those of its fellow, and supero- anteriorly blends 

 with the .tendon common to the abdominal muscles ; it is 

 thus indirectly attached superiorly along the whole length 

 of the pelvic symphysis. We have to cut through the ten- 

 dinous structures at the point of junction of the two limbs 

 for more than an inch before we reach the bone. Inf eriorly 

 this muscle forms an expanded tendon, which sends off a 

 band passing to the white fibrous tissue band running 

 to the hock, but mainly becomes inserted into the inner 

 straight ligament of the patella, into the inner part of the 

 head of the tibia, and into the faschia clothing the inside 

 of the thigh, blending anteriorly with 



Sartorius, a thin long ribbon-like muscle, which arises 

 from the under surface of the psoas faschia, and from the 

 antero -inferior spinous process of the ilium through the 

 medium of iliacus, and is inserted by blending inferiorly 

 with gracilis. It covers that portion of the crural nerve 

 which intervenes between the brim of the pelvis and the 

 femoral space. 



The femoral space is an elongated space situated in this 

 region, through which pass the femoral artery and vein, 

 and crural nerve ; and which also contains the inguinal 

 lymphatic glands and some fat. It is bounded : anteriorly, 

 by sartorius ; posteriorly, by pectineus, and biceps adductor 

 f emoris inferiorly ; externally by vastus internus ; inter- 

 nally, by gracilis. 



On removing the layer of muscles formed by gracilis 

 and sartorius we expose supero-anteriorly vastus internus 

 and rectus femoris ; posteriorly ischio-tibialis and biceps 

 rotator tibialis ; centrally pectineus and biceps adductor 

 femoris, between which run an artery, vein, and nerve. 



