Chapter 5 The Muscular System 179
Figure 5.22 Muscles of the Lower Limb
Muscle Location Primary Functions
Hip Muscles
Gluteus maximus external buttocks; connects pelvis to
femur
extension and lateral rotation of leg
Gluteus medius directly under maximus; connects ilium of
pelvis to femur
abduction and medial rotation of leg
Iliopsoas anterior groin; connects ilium and lower
vertebrae to femur
fl exion of leg at hip
Adductor muscles
anterior-medial thigh adduction and medial rotation of leg
Knee Muscles
Quadriceps anterior thigh; connects ilium and proximal
femur to tibia
extension of leg at knee
Hamstrings
posterior thigh; connect ischium to tibia
and fi bula
fl exion of leg at knee
Sartorius long, straplike muscle that crosses
anterior thigh obliquely; connects ilium to
proximal tibia
assists with fl exion, abduction, and lateral
rotation of thigh
Ankle/Foot Muscles
Gastrocnemius prominent muscle on posterior calf;
connects femur to calcaneus (heel bone)
via Achilles tendon
plantar fl exion of foot, fl exion of leg at
knee
Soleus underlies gastrocnemius on posterior calf;
connects fi bula and tibia to calcaneus
plantar fl exion of foot
Tibialis anterior anterior lower leg; connects tibia to tarsal
and metatarsal bones of foot
dorsifl exion and inversion of foot
of which branch out to several of the fi ngers)
these are not discussed. Figure 5.20 lists the
major muscles of the upper limb, and Figure 5.21
summarizes their locations and functions.
Lower Limb Muscles
While the structure of the upper limb lends
itself well to activities that involve large ranges
of motion, the lower limb is well designed for its
primary jobs of standing and walking. Running,
jumping, kicking, climbing, skipping, hopping,
and dancing are just a few of the additional
capabilities of the lower limb.
The lower limb includes the joints of the
hip, knee, and ankle, along with numerous
joints in the foot. In this lesson we include the
major muscles of the hip, knee, and ankle, but
we omit a number of small muscles that play
assistive roles. The table in Figure 5.22 outlines
the locations and primary functions of the major
muscles of the lower limb. Figure 5.23 on the
next page shows these muscles.
Notice in Figures 5.22 and 5.23 the two
muscle groups on the anterior side and
posterior side of the thigh. The anterior group,
the quadriceps, includes the rectus femoris,
vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus
intermedius, which lies under the rectus femoris.
These four muscles are often referred to as a
group because they all attach to the patellar
tendon.