204 INFERIOR EXTREMITY 



muscular septum, it takes origin. It is inserted into the 

 patella through the medium of the common tendon. It is 

 supplied by the femoral nerve. 



Common Tendon of the Quadriceps. It should now be 

 noticed that the common tendon of the quadriceps muscle 

 closes the knee-joint above the patella. It is inserted into 

 the proximal border of that bone, and is intimately connected 

 with the capsule of the knee-joint. Some fibres are carried 

 distally into the ligamentum patellae upon the surface of 

 the patella. A pouch of synovial membrane is prolonged 

 proximally beyond the level of the patella, between the 

 quadriceps and the bone. Into the wall of this pouch the 

 m. articularis genu is inserted. 



Dissection. The vastus intermedius should be divided in a vertical direc- 

 tion, so as to bring the little muscle articularis into view, and at the same 

 time the long, slender nerve-filament which runs along the medial border 

 of the vastus intermedius may be traced to the muscle and the synovial 

 stratum of the knee-joint. 



The ligamentum patella, which connects the patella with 

 the tuberosity of the tibia, and through which the quadri- 

 ceps is attached to that bone, will be studied in connection 

 with the knee-joint. 



The whole of the quadriceps femoris is an extensor of the 

 knee, and the rectus portion is also a flexor of the hip-joint. 



MEDIAL SIDE OF THE THIGH. 



The group of adductor muscles on the medial aspect of the 

 thigh, together with the blood-vessels and nerves associated 

 with them, must next be dissected. In this dissection the 

 following are the structures which are displayed : 



( Pectineus. 

 Adductor longus. 



Miisrlps J Adductor brevis. 

 Muscles, < Adductor magnus . 



Gracilis. 

 V Obturator externus. 



... f Profunda femoris (and its branches). 

 Arteries, { Obturator . 



^ ' / The two divisions of the obturator nerve, 

 rves, \Occasionally the accessory obturator nerve. 



