SARTORIUS 



469 



Structure. — The muscle arises by short tendinous strands. The fibre-bundles take a nearly 

 parallel course. The component muscle-fibres are said to be the longest in the body. Near the 

 medial epicondyle of the femur the tendon of insertion makes its appearance on the deep as- 

 pect of the muscle. On the superficial surface of the tendon the muscle-fibres are inserted 

 as far as the distal margin of the knee-joint. From there the tendon turns forward to its 

 insertion. 



Nerve-supply. — Usually two branches enter the deep surface of the proximal third of the 

 sartorius. One or both of them may be bound up with an anterior cutaneous nerve passing 



Fig. 412. — The Deep Muscles of the Front of the Thigh. 



Obturator externus 

 Adductor longus 



Adductor magnus 



Adductor longus 

 Vastus intermedius 



Vastus medialis 



Rectus femoris 



Ligamentum patellae 



Rectus tendon 



Gluteus medius 

 Gluteus minimus 



Adductor brevis 



""Vastus lateralis 



Biceps 



Ilio-tibial band 



through the muscle. The first of the branches is distributed chiefly to the lateral and proximal, 

 the second to the medial and distal, portions of the muscle. Within the muscle is a complex 

 plexus. 



Action.— (1) To flex the thigh at the hip, abduct and rotate it lateralward; (2) to flex the leg 

 and rotate it slightly medialward; (3) to make tense the medial part of the fascia lata. 



Relations. — The sartorius lies in a fascial canal bounded by the fascia lata and by inter- 

 muscular septa which descend from this. It crosses the rectus femoris, iho-psoas, the adductor 



