Vastus lateralis muscle | |
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Details | |
Origin | Greater trochanter, intertrochanteric line, and linea aspera of the femur |
Insertion | Patella by the quadriceps tendon and tibial tuberosity by the patellar ligament |
Artery | Lateral circumflex femoral artery |
Nerve | Femoral nerve |
Actions | Extends and stabilizes knee |
Antagonist | Hamstring |
Identifiers | |
Latin | musculus vastus lateralis or musculus vastus externus |
TA98 | A04.7.02.021 |
TA2 | 2618 |
FMA | 22431 |
Anatomical terms of muscle |
The vastus lateralis (/ˈvæstəs ˌlætəˈreɪlɪs, ˈræ-/), also called the vastus externus,[1] is the largest and most powerful part of the quadriceps femoris, a muscle in the thigh. Together with other muscles of the quadriceps group, it serves to extend the knee joint, moving the lower leg forward. It arises from a series of flat, broad tendons attached to the femur, and attaches to the outer border of the patella. It ultimately joins with the other muscles that make up the quadriceps in the quadriceps tendon, which travels over the knee to connect to the tibia. The vastus lateralis is the recommended site for intramuscular injection in infants less than 7 months old and those unable to walk, with loss of muscular tone.[2]
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Transcription
Hello again, everyone. This is Matt from Kenhub. And in this short tutorial, we’re going to talk about the origin, insertion, and function of the quadriceps femoris. The quadriceps femoris muscle is a four-headed muscle of the thigh which almost completely covers the femur. The quadriceps is among the strongest muscles in the human body and significantly forms the lateral contours in the ventral side of the thigh. Its innervation is carried by the femoral nerve. It consists of four separate muscles: the rectus femoris, the vastus medialis, the vastus lateralis, and the vastus intermedius. We will discuss the insertion and origin of each one individually. The rectus femoris muscle has two origins at the anterior inferior iliac spine of the pelvis and the upper margin of the acetabulum. Distally, its fibers end in the common insertion tendon which is also known as the quadriceps tendon. The vastus medialis muscle runs spirally around the shaft from the linea aspera and intertrochanteric line of the femur and merges with the quadriceps tendon for the most part. A second part referred to as medial patellar retinaculum bypasses the patella medially and inserts at the medial condyle of the tibia. The vastus lateralis muscle originates at the linea aspera and greater trochanter of the femur, loops around the shaft, and mainly runs into the quadriceps tendon. Near inverted to the vastus medialis muscle, a small part goes around the patella laterally and inserts at the lateral condyle of the tibia, also known as the lateral patellar retinaculum. The vastus intermedius muscle begins at the front side of the femur and ends in the common insertion tendon. In the height of the patellar base, a small part splits off and inserts at the suprapatellar recess of the knee joint capsule, also known as the articularis genus muscle. Even though it does not count as an independent muscle, it is sometimes considered as the fifth head of the quadriceps. The quadriceps tendon runs above the ventral side, and through the periosteum of the patella, and finally inserts at the tuberosity of the tibia. The part below the patellar apex is referred to as the patellar ligament, seen here in green. The quadriceps is the only extensor of the knee joint. It plays a key role in every movement involving the stretching of the knee. And in addition, it keeps the knee from buckling when standing. Furthermore, the rectus femoris muscle forces a flexion of the hip joint. To a small extent, the vastus medialis muscle is involved in the internal rotation, and the vastus lateralis muscle in the external rotation of the knee joint. The articularis genus muscle is directly linked to the knee joint capsule and the suprapatellar bursa. During the knee extension, it pulls both structures proximally, and by this means, prevents their entrapment between patella and femur. This video is more fun than reading a text book, right? If you want more videos, interactive quizzes, articles, and an atlas of human anatomy, click on the “Take me to Kenhub” button. It is time to say goodbye to your old textbooks, and say hello to your new anatomy learning partner, Kenhub. See you there! https://www.kenhub.com
Structure
The vastus lateralis muscle arises from several areas of the femur, including the upper part of the intertrochanteric line; the lower, anterior borders of the greater trochanter, to the outer border of the gluteal tuberosity, and the upper half of the outer border of the linea aspera. These form an aponeurosis, a broad flat tendon that covers the upper three-quarters of the muscle. From the inner surface of the aponeurosis, many muscle fibers originate. Some additional fibers arise from the tendon of the gluteus maximus muscle, and from the septum between the vastus lateralis and short head of the biceps femoris.
The fibers form a large fleshy mass, attached to a second strong aponeurosis, placed on the deep surface of the lower part of the muscle. This lower aponeurosis becomes contracted and thickened into a flat tendon that attaches to the outer border of the patella, and subsequently joins with the quadriceps femoris tendon, expanding the capsule of the knee-joint.
Innervation
The vastus lateralis muscle is innervated by the muscular branches of the femoral nerve (L2, L3, and L4).
Additional images
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Vastus lateralis muscle
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Site for intramuscular injection into the vastus lateralis
References
This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 470 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)
External links
- Cross section image: pembody/body18b—Plastination Laboratory at the Medical University of Vienna
- Cross section image: pelvis/pelvis-e12-15—Plastination Laboratory at the Medical University of Vienna
- PTCentral