MUSCLES OF THE POSTERIOR LIMBS. 349 



1. Muscle of the Fascia Lata (Tensor Fascia Lat^, Tensor Vagina 

 Femoris (Fig. 193, 3). 



Synonyms. — Ilio-aponeuroticus — Girard. (Tensor vaginx — Percivall. Ischio-rotuleus ex- 

 ternus — LeyK). 



Form — Situation. — A flat and triangular muscle, situated in front of the 

 superficial gluteus, and outside the external vastus. 



Structure — Attachments. — It comprises : 1. A flabelliform muscular portion, 

 covered on its faces by tendinous fibres, and attached, superiorly, to the external 

 angle of the ilium. 2. An aponeurosis named the fascia lata, continuous with 

 the inferior border of the muscular portion, and soon divided into two super- 

 posed layers — one superficial, the other deep. The latter is insinuated between 

 the posterior portion of the superficial gluteus and the external vastus, joins the 

 terminal tendon of the anterior portion of that muscle, and is inserted into the 

 external border of the femur. The first, which also appears to divide into two 

 layers, is spread outwardly over the superficial gluteus, where it is confounded 

 with the gluteal aponeurosis ; and inwardly, over the internal crural muscles, to 

 become united to the femoral aponeurosis. Below, it is prolonged to the patella, 

 into which it is fixed ; it is even continued below that bone, to join the terminal 

 aponeurosis of the posterior branch of the long superficial gluteus. 



Relations. — Outwards, with the skin ; inwards, with the external vastus, the 

 anterior rectus, and the iliacus ; behind, with the superficial and middle glutei. 

 In front, to a cluster of lymphatic glands, where it receives, on its aponeurosis, 

 the insertion of the panniculus carnosus. 



Action. — It flexes the femur by raising the entire limb, and renders tense its 

 own terminal aponeurosis. 



(In speaking of the uses of this muscle, Leyh states that — in addition to its 

 being a flexor of the thigh and an extensor of the leg through its action on its 

 aponeurosis — it maintains the position of the limb while the animal is standing, 

 and allows the other muscles to become relaxed.) 



2. Crural Triceps.* 



An enormous muscle lying against the anterior and lateral aspects of the 

 femur, composed of three portions which are not very distinct from each other 

 for the greater part of their extent, and which are separately described as the 

 anterior rectus or straight muscle, and the vastus externus and internus. 



A. Anterior Straight Muscle of the Thigh (Rectus Femoris), 

 Middle Portion of the Triceps (Figs. 194, 6 ; 197, 16). 



Synonyms. — The ilio-rotuleua of Girard. (Rectus— Percivall. Anterior ilio-rotuleus — Leyh.) 



This muscle is embedded between the two lateral portions of the triceps, and 

 extends from the cotyloid angle of the ilium to the patella, in a direction slightly 

 obUque forwards and downwards. 



Form— Structure. — Elongated, thick, and fusiform, the rectus femoris offei-s, 

 at its superior extremity, two short and flattened tendinous branches ; its middle 

 portion is formed of pale-red muscular fibres lying close to each other, and 



' Following the example of M. Cruveilhier, we will describe by this name the triceps cruris 

 of the older anatomists, and the anterior rectus of the thigh. 

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