THE THIGH 259 



of the thigh which receives this name should now be 

 examined, and its connections ascertained. It is attached 

 superiorly to the tubercle on the outer lip of the crest of the 

 ilium, behind the tensor fasciae latae, and, inferiorly, to the 

 lateral condyle of the tibia and the head of the fibula. On 

 the lateral condyle of the tibia it is attached to a prominent 

 ridge which extends from the fibular facet forwards and 

 downwards to the tuberosity. It is covered by skin and 

 superficial fascia, and from above downwards it lies superficial 

 to part of the glutaeus medius, the greater trochanter, the 

 vastus lateralis, the lower lateral part of the vastus intermedius, 

 the lateral condyle of the femur, and the lateral border of the 

 knee joint. Two muscles are inserted into it : the glutaeus 

 maximus posteriorly at the level of the greater trochanter, 

 and the tensor fasciae anteriorly in the proximal third of the 

 thigh. Above the insertion of the glutaeus maximus its 

 posterior border is continuous with the thick fascia on the 

 superficial surface of the glutaeus medius, and its anterior 

 border splits into a superficial and a deep lamella, both of 

 which have already been cleared away ; for the superficial 

 lamella covered the superficial surface of the tensor fasciae, 

 and the deep lamella is the layer on the deep surface of the 

 tensor fasciae which extends medially to become continuous 

 with the tendon of the rectus femoris and the front of the 

 capsule of the hip joint (see p. 248). In the distal half of the 

 thigh its deep surface is attached to the lateral supracondylar 

 ridge of the femur and to the lower part of the linea aspera 

 by the lateral intermuscular septum. 



M. Tensor Fasciae Latse (O.T. Tensor Fasciae Femoris). 

 The tensor of the fascia lata is a small muscle which is 

 placed on the lateral and anterior aspect of the proximal 

 third of the thigh. It lies between the two lamellae of the 

 proximal part of the ilio-tibial tract, in the interval between 

 the sartorius muscle anteriorly and the glutaeus medius 

 muscle posteriorly. Its nerve of supply, a branch of the 

 superior gluteal nerve which enters the deep surface of the 

 muscle a little above the middle of its length, has already 

 been exposed (p. 249). 



The tensor fascia latce. arises from a small portion of the 

 anterior part of the outer lip of the crest of the ilium ; from 

 the upper part of the margin of the notch below the anterior 

 superior spine of the ilium; and by some fibres from the fascia 



