Vastus medialis

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Vastus medialis

Muscles of lower extremity
Gray's	subject #128
Origin:
Insertion:
Blood:
Nerve:	femoral nerve
Action:

The vastus medialis is the muscle that brings the kneecap inward, holding it in the position it should be. This can relieve stress on the knee, as well as treat runner's knee. Lunges are an extremely good workout for this muscle.

The vastus medialis is the muscle that extend the leg the last 10%, and is therefore very important while walking.

The Vastus medialis (Vastus internus) arises from the lower half of the intertrochanteric line, the medial lip of the linea aspera, the upper part of the medial supracondylar line, the tendons of the Adductor longus and the Adductor magnus and the medial intermuscular septum. Its fibers are directed downward and forward, and are chiefly attached to an aponeurosis which lies on the deep surface of the muscle and is inserted into the medial border of the patella and the Quadriceps femoris tendon, an expansion being sent to the capsule of the knee-joint.

The Vastus medialis and Vastus intermedius appear to be inseparably united, but when the Rectus femoris has been reflected a narrow interval will be observed extending upward from the medial border of the patella between the two muscles, and the separation may be continued as far as the lower part of the intertrochanteric line, where, however, the two muscles are frequently continuous.

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Muscles of the iliac and anterior femoral regions.

The femoral artery.

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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 As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated.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.