356 



THE MUSCLES. 



muscle, between the small adductor and the semimembranosus, proceeding 

 obliquely downwards and outwards. 



Form — Structure. — It is a long, thick, prismatic muscle, flat before and behind, 

 terminating, inferiorly, by two branches of unequal length, and almost entirely 

 composed of parallel muscular fibres, which are generally distinguished from the 

 fasciculi of the small adductor by their deeper colour. 



Attachmmts. — Above, to the lower face of the ischium and to the single 



tendinous band which at- 

 F'g- 196. taches the two muscles of 



the flat of the thigh to the 

 pelvic symphysis — origin. 

 Below : 1. By its external 

 branch, the thickest and 

 shortest, to the quadrilateral 

 scabrous surface on the pos- 

 terior face of the femur, out- 

 side the small adductor. 2. 

 By its internal branch — the 

 longest and thinnest — to the 

 supero-internal condyle of 

 the femur, in conmion with 

 the semimembranosus and 

 the internal femoro-tibial 

 ligament —termination. 



Relations. — Inwards, with 

 the short adductor of the leg ; 

 behind, with the semimem- 

 branosus ; in front, with the 

 small adductor, the external 

 obturator, and the inferior 

 extremity of the quadratus 

 femoris. Its external border, 

 thinner than the internal, 

 partly covers the superior ex- 

 tremity of the latter muscle, and is separated from the sciatic nerves and the 

 biceps femoris by an aponeurotic layer. The crural vessels pass between its two 

 branches, one of which, the internal, is related anteriorly and near its insertion to 

 the vastus internus. 



Action. — This muscle is an adductor and extensor, as well as a rotator out- 

 wards of the femur. 



Third Layer. 



6. QuADEATE Crural (Quadratus Femoris, Ischio-Femoralis) 



(Figs. 196, 14 ; 197, 10). 



Synonyms. — The gracilis internus of Bourgelat, and the ischio-femoral gracilis of Girard. 

 (Not described by Percivall. Small ischio-femoralis of Leyh. The quadratus femoris of Man.) 



Situation — Direction — Form — Structure. — Situated on the posterior face of 

 the femur, between the great adductor and external obturator, and oblique 

 downwards and outwards, the quadratus femoris is a small flat band, formed of 

 parallel muscular fibres, slightly tendinous at their inferior extremity. 



DEEP MUSCLES OF THE COXO-FEMORAL REGION. 



9, Deep gluteus, 10, origin of the rectus femoris; 11, rectus 

 parvus; 13, obturator externus , 14, quadratus femoris; 

 15, depressor coccygis. 



