We continue our inferior slide down the body with an examination of hip and leg muscles starting with muscles originating from the pelvis and inserting into the femur.
As you can see the right and left sides have been dissected to different levels to begin this part of your exploration. We'll begin with the muscle group seen on the left side.
As we have done before, use the cross-section to locate the following muscles and add them to your specimen. This time, the four muscles are in place on the left thigh to help you. Find the muscles in the right thigh cross-section in the order shown. When you click on them in the cross-section using the highlight tool they will be added to the right femur of your specimen. All four of these muscles originate on the pelvis, insert on the femur, and adduct, flex, and medially rotate the femur at the hip joint.
Sports fans and athletes have either heard of, or experienced, a "groin pull". This is generally a strain, stretch, or tear of the distal attachments of these medial muscles of the thigh.
This muscle group includes the quadriceps femoris ("quads") and the sartorius. Each of these muscles cause movement at the knee.
This group of muscles all flex (bend) the leg at the knee. These include the medial gracilis and the posterior hamstrings. Once again, the left leg has all the muscles in place (including the anterior muscles you just studied). As before, locate and click on the following muscles in the RIGHT leg cross section to add them to the dissection area.
A strain or partial tear of the proximal hamstring muscles is referred to as a "pulled hamstring" or "hamstring strain". The proximal tendon of the biceps femoris at the ischial tuberosity is particularly prone to this injury.
Several muscles are found in this muscle compartment. With the exception of the tibialis anterior, learn them as a singular group of anterior leg compartment muscles that dorsiflex the foot.
You are looking at a lateral view of the left leg. Two muscles are found here that plantar flex and evert the foot, HOWEVER, you do not need to identify them individually. Learn them as a single group of lateral fibular muscles.
Your first examination here will be a couple of superficial muscles. As done previously, the left leg shows the 3D anatomy. Use the cross sectional view of the right leg to locate the muscles and add them to the skeleton. These muscles plantar flex the foot at the ankle joint.
Dissect away the superficial posterior leg compartment muscles (and the calcaneal tendon) to expose the four deep muscles. You do NOT need to learn these individual muscles. Simply identify them as a singular group of deep posterior leg compartment muscles. Collectively, they flex the leg at the knee and plantar flex the foot at the ankle joint.
Because they originate and insert within the foot, these muscles are called intrinsic foot muscles. You do NOT need to individually identify these muscles. Instead, identify them as a single group. They are comparable to those in the hand. Unlike intrinsic hand muscles, however, that are specialized for intricate movements, intrinsic foot muscles are limited to support and locomotion.
Let's see how you do with a practice lab practical on this part of the body. You should have mastered all of these leg muscles so you identify them individually or collectively as specified by the lesson.