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QuadricepsMusculus quadriceps femoris

Group of four large muscles on the front of the thigh that join into one tendon over the kneecap and are the only muscles that straighten the knee.

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LatinMusculus quadriceps femoris
Origin
  • Anterior inferior iliac spine and a groove just above the hip socket (acetabulum) (rectus femoris)
  • Greater trochanter, intertrochanteric line and outer lip of the linea aspera of the femur (vastus lateralis)
  • Intertrochanteric line, medial lip of the linea aspera and medial supracondylar line of the femur (vastus medialis)
  • Front and outer surfaces of the upper two-thirds of the femur shaft (vastus intermedius)
Insertion
  • Patella, by the common quadriceps tendon
  • Tibial tuberosity, by the patellar ligament (the continuation of the quadriceps tendon below the kneecap)
Action
  • All members: extend (straighten) the knee
  • Rectus femoris: also flexes the hip
  • Vastus medialis: helps keep the patella tracking in its groove
NerveFemoral nerve (L2–L4)
MembersRectus femoris, Vastus lateralis, Vastus medialis, Vastus intermedius
NameLatin quadriceps femoris, 'four-headed muscle of the femur'.

Palpation

  1. Client supine with the leg straight and supported; stand beside the thigh.
  2. Place both hands flat on the front of the thigh between the hip and the kneecap and feel the large, firm muscle mass that covers the front and sides of the femur.
  3. Follow the bulk down to the top of the patella, where the four muscles merge into the quadriceps tendon.
  4. Ask the client to tighten the thigh and press the back of the knee into the table (a quad set); the whole group firms under your hands.

Landmarks: Anterior superior iliac spine · Greater trochanter · Patella · Tibial tuberosity

The quadriceps make up most of the bulk on the front of the thigh. Three of them, the Vastus lateralis, Vastus medialis and Vastus intermedius, start on the femur and only cross the knee. The fourth, Rectus femoris, starts on the pelvis just below the Anterior superior iliac spine, so it crosses both the hip and the knee. All four meet in the quadriceps tendon, wrap the Patella and continue as the patellar ligament to the Tibial tuberosity.

Runners, cyclists and anyone who squats or climbs stairs a lot commonly report tight or tired quads. In the Anterior lower limb — 20 min routine, long Effleurage strokes from knee to hip, followed by Petrissage and Wringing across the thick mass, suit the group well. Keep strokes flowing towards the heart and ease off near the kneecap.

The quadriceps work against the Hamstrings on the back of the thigh. The quads straighten the knee; the hamstrings bend it. Because rectus femoris also flexes the hip, it shares that job with Iliopsoas and Sartorius.

Techniques

  • Effleurage — Long, gliding strokes with the whole palm that spread the medium, warm the tissue and link the other strokes together.
  • Petrissage — Kneading strokes that compress, lift and squeeze the muscle away from the bone, working the tissue between the hands.
  • Wringing — A petrissage stroke where the hands lift the tissue and push and pull it across the body in opposite directions, like wringing out a towel.
  • Compression — Pressing straight down into a muscle with the palm, fist or forearm, holding briefly, then releasing and moving on.
  • Hacking — A percussion stroke where the little-finger edges of both relaxed hands strike the muscle alternately in a quick, light rhythm.
  • Passive stretching — The therapist gently moves a relaxed limb to lengthen a muscle to a point of mild stretch and holds it there, with no effort from the client.

Works with

  • Iliopsoas — Deep hip flexor made of psoas major and iliacus, running from the lumbar spine and inside of the pelvis to the lesser trochanter of the femur, and the strongest flexor of the hip.
  • Sartorius — Long, thin strap muscle, the longest in the body, running diagonally across the front of the thigh from the ASIS to the inner knee, which helps flex, abduct and laterally rotate the hip and bend the knee.
  • Tensor fasciae latae — Small muscle at the front of the outer hip, just below the ASIS, that tightens the iliotibial band and helps flex, abduct and medially rotate the hip.

Opposes

  • Hamstrings — Group of three muscles on the back of the thigh, running from the sitting bone to below the knee, that bend the knee and extend the hip.

Used in routines

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Quadriceps femoris muscle
  2. Wikipedia: Femoral nerve