| Quadriceps femoris muscle | |
|---|---|
| Muscles of lower extremity. (Rectus femoris removed to reveal the vastus intermedius.) | |
| Latin | musculus quadriceps femoris |
| Gray's | subject #128 470 |
| Origin | combined rectus femoris and vastus muscles |
| Insertion | tibial tuberosity |
| Artery | femoral artery |
| Nerve | Femoral nerve |
| Actions | Knee extension; Hip flexion (R.Fem. only) |
| Dorlands /Elsevier |
Quadriceps femoris muscle |
The quadriceps femoris (Latin for "four-headed muscle of the femur"), also called simply the quadriceps, quadriceps extensor, quads, is a large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh. It is the great extensor muscle of the knee, forming a large fleshy mass which covers the front and sides of the femur.
The proper Latin plural form of the adjective quadriceps would be quadricipites. In modern English usage, quadriceps is used in both singular and plural. The singular form quadricep, produced by hypercorrection, is frequently used.
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It is subdivided into four separate portions or 'heads', which have received distinctive names:
All four parts of the quadriceps muscle ultimately insert into the tibial tuberosity of the tibia. This is via the patella, where the quadriceps tendon becomes the patellar ligament, which then attaches to the tibia.
All four quadriceps are powerful extensors of the knee joint. They are crucial in walking, running, jumping and squatting. Because rectus femoris attaches to the ilium, it is also a flexor of the hip. This action is also crucial to walking or running as it swings the leg forward into the ensuing step. The quadriceps, specifically the vastus medialis, plays the important role of stabilizing the patella and the knee joint during gait.[1]
In strength training, the quadriceps is trained by several leg exercises. Effective exercises include the squat and leg press. The isolation movement (i.e. targets solely the quadriceps) is the leg extension exercise.
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