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Rectus femorisMusculus rectus femoris

Spindle-shaped muscle down the middle of the front of the thigh, the only quadriceps muscle that crosses the hip, so it both flexes the hip and straightens the knee.

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LatinMusculus rectus femoris
Origin
  • Straight head: anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS)
  • Reflected head: groove just above the rim of the hip socket (acetabulum)
Insertion
  • Base of the patella, via the quadriceps tendon
  • Tibial tuberosity, via the patellar ligament
Action
  • Extends the knee
  • Flexes the hip
NerveFemoral nerve (L2–L4)
GroupQuadriceps
NameLatin rectus, 'straight', and femoris, 'of the femur' — the straight muscle of the thigh.

Palpation

  1. Client supine with the leg straight; stand beside the thigh.
  2. Find the ASIS, then slide your fingers about 5 cm down and slightly inwards to the notch below it; this is near the origin at the AIIS.
  3. Follow the spindle-shaped belly straight down the centre of the thigh to the top of the patella.
  4. Ask the client to lift the straight leg a few centimetres off the table (hip flexion with the knee straight); the central belly firms and stands out.

Landmarks: Anterior superior iliac spine · Patella · Tibial tuberosity

Rectus femoris lies on top of the other three Quadriceps muscles, down the centre of the thigh. Its upper end tucks in just below the Anterior superior iliac spine and under Sartorius and Tensor fasciae latae, which form a V around it at the hip. Because it crosses two joints, it is shortened in sitting and many clients who sit all day report the front of the hip feeling tight.

To tell it apart from the vasti, test both jobs. Lifting a straight leg (hip flexion) works rectus femoris strongly but the vasti only hold the knee straight. Bending the knee fully while the hip is extended, such as in a side-lying or prone quad stretch, stretches rectus femoris more than the vasti. It is a weak hip flexor when the knee is already straight, so Iliopsoas does most of that work.

In a relaxation routine, use Effleurage up the midline of the thigh, then Petrissage and gentle Wringing across the belly. Keep pressure moderate near the hip crease, where the femoral vessels run on the inner side.

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.
  • 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

  • Vastus lateralis — The largest quadriceps muscle, covering the outer side of the thigh, which straightens and steadies the knee.
  • Vastus medialis — Quadriceps muscle on the inner side of the thigh, forming the teardrop bulge above the knee, that straightens the knee and helps the kneecap track in its groove.
  • Vastus intermedius — Deep quadriceps muscle lying on the front of the femur under rectus femoris, which straightens the knee.
  • 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.
  • Gluteus maximus — The largest and most superficial buttock muscle, and the main extensor of the hip.

Same group

  • Vastus intermedius — Deep quadriceps muscle lying on the front of the femur under rectus femoris, which straightens the knee.
  • Vastus lateralis — The largest quadriceps muscle, covering the outer side of the thigh, which straightens and steadies the knee.
  • Vastus medialis — Quadriceps muscle on the inner side of the thigh, forming the teardrop bulge above the knee, that straightens the knee and helps the kneecap track in its groove.

Used in routines

Sources

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