510 



THE MUSCLES AND FASCIA 



V \\ 



FIG. 381. Muscles of the iliac and anterior 

 femoral region. 



spine of the ilium and the upper half of the 

 notch below it, passes obliquely across the 

 upper and anterior part of the thigh, from 

 the outer to the inner side of the limb, then 

 descends vertically, as far as the inner side of 

 the knee, passing behind the inner condyle of 

 the femur, and terminates in a tendon which, 

 curving obliquely forward, expands into a 

 broad aponeurosis, to be inserted in front of 

 the Gracilis and Semitendinosus, into the 

 upper part of the inner surface of the shaft 

 of the tibia, nearly as far forward as the crest. 

 The upper part of the tendon is curved back- 

 ward over the upper edge of the tendon of the 

 Gracilis in order to be inserted behind it. An 

 offset is derived from the upper margin of this 

 aponeurosis, which blends with the fibrous 

 capsule of the knee-joint, and another, given 

 off from its lower border, blends with the 

 fascia on the inner side of the leg. 



Relations. By its superficial surface, with the 

 fascia lata; by its deep surface, with the Rectus 

 femoris, Iliacus, Vastus internus, femoral nerve, sheath 

 of the femoral vessels, Adductor longus, Gracilis, 

 Semitendinosus, long saphenous nerve, and internal 

 lateral ligament of the knee-joint. Frequently there 

 is a bursa (bursa m. sartorii propria) between the 

 tendon of the Sartorius and the tendons of the Gra- 

 cilis and Semimembranosus. 



The relations of this muscle to the femoral artery 

 should be carefully examined, as it constitutes the 

 chief guide in tying the vessel. In the upper third of 

 the thigh it forms the outer side of a triangular space, 

 Scarpa's triangle (trigonum femorale), the inner side 

 of which is formed by the inner border of the Adductor 

 longus, and the base, which is turned upward, by 

 Poupart's ligament; the femoral artery passes per- 

 pendicularly through the middle of this space from 

 its base to its apex. In the middle third of the thigh 

 the femoral artery lies first along the inner border, 

 and then behind the Sartorius. 



The Quadriceps extensor (m. quadriceps 

 femoris) (Fig. 381) includes the four remaining 

 muscles on the front of the thigh. It is the. 

 great Extensor muscle of the leg, forming a 

 large fleshy mass which covers the front and 

 sides of the femur, being united below into' 

 a single tendon, attached to the patella, and 

 above subdivided into separate portions, 

 which have received distinct names. Of 

 these, one occupying the middle of the thigh,, 

 connected above with the ilium, is called the 

 Rectus femoris, from its straight course. The 

 other divisions lie in immediate connection 

 with the shaft of the femur, which they cover 

 from the trochanters to the condyles. The 



