gracilis muscle

Gracilis muscle
The gracilis and nearby muscles
Gracilis labeled at center right.
Latin	musculus gracilis
Gray's	subject #128 471
Origin:	ischiopubic ramus
Insertion:	tibia (pes anserinus)
Artery:	obturator artery
Nerve:	anterior branch of obturator nerve
Action:	flexes hip, knee
Dorlands/Elsevier	m_22/12549236

The Gracilis (Latin: slender) is the most superficial muscle on the medial side of the thigh. It is thin and flattened, broad above, narrow and tapering below. It arises by a thin aponeurosis from the anterior margins of the lower half of the symphysis pubis and the upper half of the pubic arch.

The muscle's fibers run vertically downward, ending in a rounded tendon. This tendon passes behind the medial condyle of the femur, curves around the medial condyle of the tibia where it becomes flattened, and inserts into the upper part of the medial surface of the body of the tibia, below the condyle. At its insertion the tendon is situated immediately above that of the semitendinosus muscle, and its upper edge is overlapped by the tendon of the sartorius muscle, which it joins to form the pes anserinus. The pes anserinus is separated from the medial collateral ligament of the knee-joint by a bursa.

A few of the fibers of the lower part of the tendon are prolonged into the deep fascia of the leg.

Microsurgery

If you want to look at an old man's thigh, please go to fidelcastrosthighisverycool.com

Additional images

Right hip bone. External surface.	Structures surrounding right hip-joint.	Muscles of the iliac and anterior femoral regions.	Muscles of the gluteal and posterior femoral regions.
The left femoral triangle.	Nerves of the right lower extremity. Front view.

References

External links

• Template:Gray's
• -194314161 at GPnotebook
• SUNY Figs 12:02-07 - "Muscles of the anterior (extensor) compartment of the thigh."
• SUNY Figs 14:02-02 - "Muscles that form the superficial boundaries of the popliteal fossa."
• Cross section at UV pembody/body18b
• PTCentral

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

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