Vastus intermedius muscle
| Vastus intermedius muscle |
|---|
| origin |
| Anterior surface of the femur |
| approach |
| Upper side of the kneecap , tibial tuberosity of the tibia |
| function |
| Extensor of the knee joint |
| Innervation |
| Femoral nerve |
| Spinal segments |
| L2-L4 |
The vastus intermedius muscle ( Latin for "middle broad muscle", "middle broad thigh muscle" or "middle thigh muscle") is one of the anterior muscles of the thigh . It belongs to the quadriceps femoris muscle (four-headed thigh muscle). The kneecap is embedded in the tendon of the quadriceps as a sesamoid . The tendon is finally attached to the tibial tuberosity of the shinbone via the patellar ligament and forms the insertion of the muscle.
The distal (closer to the knee) dorsal part of the muscle is also known as the musculus articularis genus ( Latin for "muscle of the knee joint"). In knee extension, this, together with the vastus intermedius muscle, helps to tension the suprapatellar bursa proximally and thus prevents impingement of the synovial membrane between the patella and femur.
As a rule, the vastus intermedius muscle is completely covered by the rectus femoris muscle , the strongest extensor of the knee joint.
function
The vastus intermedius muscle, together with the other muscles of the quadriceps femoris muscle, whose tendons radiate into the common tendon, stretch the knee joint . Imbalances in these muscles, for example due to paralysis, exert transverse forces on the kneecap , which can lead to a habitual dislocation of the kneecap.
literature
- Michael Schünke: Functional Anatomy. Topography and function of the movement system. Georg Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-13-118571-6 , p. 344 ff.
- J. Jerosch, J. Heisel, AB Imhoff (eds.): Knie. Steinhoff Verlag, Darmstadt 2007, ISBN 978-3-7985-1587-1 , pp. 28–32.
- Walter Thiel: Photographic Atlas of Practical Anatomy. 2nd Edition. Springer Medizin Verlag, Heidelberg 2005, ISBN 3-540-31242-0 , p. 222.
Web links
- Anatomy of the knee joint (PDF) accessed on September 10, 2018
Individual evidence
- ^ Karl Grob, Helen Gilbey, Mirjana Manestar, Timothy Ackland, Markus S. Kuster: The Anatomy of the Articularis Genus Muscle and Its Relation to the Extensor Apparatus of the Knee . In: JB JS Open Access , 2 (4), December 28, 2017, p. E0034 (English) PMC 6133144 (free full text).