TENSOR VAGINAE FEMORIS. 



247 



ter by a strong fibrous band which joins it from the upper margin of the capsule of 

 the hip-joint. A synovial bursa is interposed between the tendon and the tubercle 

 of the femur. 



Relations. The anterior border of the muscle is in contact with that of the gluteus 

 medius ; its deep surface with the capsule of the hip-joint, and the posterior head of the reotus 



Fig. 251. DEEP MUSCLES OF THE RIGHT HIP AND THIGH, 

 FROM BEHIND. (Allen Thomson.) 



a, anterior, a', posterior superior spine of the ilium ; 6', 

 posterior inferior spine ; c, c, great and small trochanters ; d, 

 symphysis pubis ; e, ischial tuberosity ; /, popliteal surface of 

 femur ; g, head of fibula ; 1, gluteus minimus ; 2, obturator 

 internus ; the gemelli have been removed ; 3, obturator ex- 

 ternus ; 4, small part of the back of the pectineus and adductor 

 brevis ; 5, origin of the adductor magnus from the lower part 

 of the ischial tuberosity ; 5', 5', line of insertion of this muscle 

 on the shaft of the femur, in which are seen three arched 

 tendinous intervals for the passage of the perforating vessels : 

 the upper division of the muscle, or adductor minimus, extends 

 down to the second arch ; 5", tendon of insertion into the 

 adductor tubercle ; between the lower 5' and 5", the interval 

 through which the femoral vessels pass into the popliteal space ; 

 the upper 5' is placed upon the cut end of the quadratus 

 femoris ; 6, vastus extern us ; 7, vastus internus ; 8, femora] 

 head of the biceps ; 8', its ischial head, cut short ; 9, plantaris 

 muscle ; at its upper end the outer head of the gastrocnemius ; 

 the figure 5", is upon the cut inner head ; 10, popliteus ; 11, 

 tendon of the semimembranosus ; 12, upper part of the soleus. 



femoris ; its outer surface is covered by the gluteus 

 medius, gluteal vessels and superior gluteal nerve ; and 

 its posterior border is covered by the pyriformis muscle. 



Varieties. This muscle may be divided into an 

 anterior and a posterior part, or it may send detached 

 slips to the hip -joint, to the pyriformis, to the gemellus 

 superior, or to the outer part of the origin of the vastus 

 externus. The anterior fibres are occasionally separate, 

 representing the scansorius muscle of apes. 



The tensor vaginae femoris or ilio-aponeurotic 

 muscle (fig. 252, 5) arises by tendinous fibres from 

 the external margin of the iliac crest at its fore part, 

 and from part of the notch between the two anterior 

 iliac spines external to the attachment of the sar- 

 torius, and by some fleshy fibres from the fascia 

 covering the gluteus medius : passing downwards 

 and a little outwards and backwards, it is inserted 

 between two laminae of the fascia lata from three 

 to four inches below the great trochanter of the 

 femur. The outer of these laminae is continued 

 upwards on the muscle in its whole extent, being 

 part of the general investment of the limb, the 

 deeper is connected above with the origin of the 

 rectus femoris, and with the band attaching the gluteus minimus to the hip-joint. 

 The fibres in the fascia prolonged from the insertion of the muscle form part of 

 the ilio-tibial band, and can be followed in this down to the outer tuberosity of 

 the tibia. 



Belations. This muscle lies upon the anterior border of the gluteus medius, the upper 

 parts of the rectus femoris and vastus externus muscles, and the ascending branch of the external 

 circumflex artery. At its origin it lies between the sartorius and gluteus medius muscles. 



