Medial side of thigh.

The Adductor or medial compartment of thigh is very well developed and derived as
indicated by its nerve supply from both the flexion extension between which it lies.
Its counterpart in arm is represented only by coracobrachialis muscle, as the arm
can be adducted by pectoralis major and left dorsal.
 Adductor compartment.

Boundaries.
• Anteriorly: Medial intermuscular septum, which separates it from the extensor compartment.
• Posteriorly: ill defined posterior intramuscular septum which separates it from the flexor compartment.

Muscles.
• Intrinsic: Adductor longus, Adductor brevis, Adductor Magnus, Gracilis, Pectineus.
• Extrinsic: obturator external lies deep in this region it is functionally related to the gluteal region.

Nerve.
• Obturator nerve
• Accessory Obturator nerve

Arteries.
• Obturator artery
• Medial Circumflex Femoral artery.
Muscles Origin
Adductor longus : Narrow , flat tendon from front
Triangular muscle – forming of the body of the pubis in the
medial part of the F.T.. Lies in angle between the pubic crest
Muscles of adductor compartment of the
the plane of the pectineus and the pubic symphysis.
Sometimes sesamoid is seen
near its origin
thigh
Adductor Brevis :
Lies behind the pectineus and
a. Ant. Surface of body of
pubis
adductor longus. b. Outer surface of inferior
ramus of pubis between
the gracilis and obturator
externus.
c. Outer surface of ramus of
the ischium between
gracilis and the adductor
magnus.
Adductor magnus: a. Inferolateral part of the
The largest muscle of this ischial tuberosity
compartment. Because of its b. Ramus of the ischium
double nerve supply it is called c. Lower part of inferior
hybrid muscle ramus of the pubis
Gracilis a. Medial margin of the lower
half of the body of pubis
b. Inferior ramus of the pubis
c. Adjoining part of the ramus
of the ischium
Pectineus : a. Pecten pubis
Flat , quadrilateral muscle . b. Upper half of the pectineal
Forms the floor of FT. Hybrid surface of the superior
muscle ramus of the pubis.
c. Fascia covering the
pectineus
Insertion
Linea aspera in middle 1/3 of
the shaft of the femur between
the vastus medialis and the
adductor brevis and magnus.
Line extending from the lesser
trochanter to upper part of
linea aspera, behind the upper
part of adductor longus.
a. Medial margin of the
gluteal tuberosity
b. Linea aspera
c. Medial supracondylar line
d. Adductor tubercle
Upper part of the medial
surface of tibia behind the
sartorius and in front of the
semitendinosus.
Line extending from lesser
trochanter to the linea aspera.
Nerve
Anterior division of the
obturator nerve.
Anterior or posterior division of
the obturator nerve.
Adductor part by posterior
division of obturator nerve.
Hamstring part by tibial part of
sciatic nerve.
Anterior division of the
obturator nerve.
Anterior fibers by femoral
nerve.
Posterior fibers by anterior
divisions of the obturator nerve.
Actions
Powerful adductor of thigh at a
hip joint.
Acts as posture controller.
A.L., A.B. Help in adduction
and flexion of thigh.
Adductor part causes adduction
of thigh and
Hamstring part helps in the
extension of hip and flexion of
knee.
Flexor and medial rotator of the
thigh.
Weak adductor of thigh.
Used for transplantation of any
damaged muscles.
Flexor of thigh
Adductor of thigh
 Muscles of adductor compartment of thigh.
Relations of adductor longus.
Anterior surface. Spermatic cord.
• Great saphenous vein with facial lata
• Femoral vessels
• Sartorius.

Posterior surface. Adductor brevis.

• Adductor Magnus
• Anterior division of obturator nerve
• Profunda femoris vessels.

Lateral border. Pectineus.

Medial border. Gracilis.
 • Branch of the lumbar plexus.

Origin and root

• Formed by the ventral division of the anterior primary Rami of spinal nerve L2,
3, 4.
• Proximal part lies in the pelvis.

value.
• Enters the thigh by passing through the obturator canal.

Course and • Within the object canal, there no divide into anterior and posterior division.
• Anterior division passes downwards in front of the obturator externus being separated from
the posterior division by fibers of obturator externus.

relations in
• Descends behind the pectineus and adductor Longus and in front of adductor brevis.
• The anterior division supplies the following muscles. Pectineus, adductor longus, gracilis,
adductor brevis –if not supplied by the posterior division.

Thai.
• Also gives a branch to the hip joint.
• Below the lower border of adductor longus, it supplies a twig to the subsartorial plexus and
ends by supplying the femoral artery in the adductor canal.

• Enters the thigh by piercing the upper border of the obturator externus muscles.

Posterior
• Descend behind the adductor brevis and in front of the adductor Magnus.
• Gives branches to the following muscles obturator, externus, adductor Magnus, adductor
brevis - If not supplied by the anterior division.
• In the adductor canal. It is reduced to a thin genicular branch. Which enter the popliteal

division. fossa.
• Pierce the oblique popliteal ligament and ends by supplying the capsule and the cruciate
ligament of the knee joint. Some of its fibers end by innervating the popliteal artery.
Clinical anatomy. Testing the adductors

Patient is supine with right lower limb, adducted. Right hand of rejection holds the leg in Adducted position.

Patient is requested to bring the time medial. Medially against the resistance of the physician’s right hand.
While the left hand feels a contracting adductor muscle.

Spasm of the adductors of thigh in certain intractable cases of spastic paraplegia may be relived by surgical
division of thee obturator nerve.

A disease of the hip joint may cause referred pain in the knee and on the medial side of the thigh because of
their common nerve supply by the obturator nerve

Obturator nerve may be involved with femoral nerve in a retroperitoneal tumours. A nerve entrapment syndrome,
leading to chronic pain on the medial side of the thigh, may occur in athletes with big adductor muscle.
 Muscles of adductor compartment of thigh.
Relations of adductor longus.
Present in about 30% of subjects.
Accessory
obturator Branch of the lumbar fractures and is formed by the ventral division of the anterior
nerve. primary Romeos, spinal nerves, L3 and L4.

Descends along the medial border of the PSOAS major, crosses the superior Ramus of
the pubis behind the pectineus, and terminates by ending into three branches.

One branch supplies the deep surface of the Pectineus, another supplies the hip joint,
and the third communicate with the anterior division of the obturator nerve.

Sometimes no is so small that it ends up supplying the pectineus only.

Muscles of adductor compartment of thigh.
Relations of adductor longus- Obturator artery
Obturator artery is a branch of internal iliac. And accompanying the object in nerve in the
pelvis.

Obturator artery divided into anterior or medial and posterior lateral branches. From the upper
margin of the obturator foramen.

Reach former circle over the obturator membrane and anastomosis with medial circumflex
femoral artery.

Both branches supply the neighboring muscle.

The posterior branch also gives an acetabular branch which passes through the acetabular notch
to supply the fat in the acetabular fossa and send twig to the head of the femur along the round
ligament.
 Muscles of adductor compartment of thigh. Relations of
adductor longus- medial circumflex femoral artery.

• Arises from the profunda femoris.

Origin • Leaves the femoral triangle by passing backwards and ends by dividing into ascending and
transverse parks.

• Anastomoses with ascending branch of lateral circumflex femoral artery and superior gluteal

Ascending branch. artery to form trochanteric anastomosis.

• This gives Retinacular branches which lie along the retinacula of capsule of hip joint to
supply head of femur.

Transverse • Anastomosis with transfers branch or lateral circumflex Femoral , inferior gluteal and first

branch.
perforating branch of profunda femoris from cruciate anastomosis.

• Before giving off terminal branches, the artery gives some muscular branches and acetabular

Acetabular notch. branch.

• Which passes through the acetabular notch to supply fat in the acetabular fossa. It also sends
a twig to the head of the femur around along the round ligament.