Sartorius

Sartorius is a muscle in the human body that is part of the thigh. It is the longest muscle in the human body. Its upper portion forms the lateral border of the femoral triangle.

Anatomy

The sartorius muscle originates from the anterior superior iliac spine. It runs obliquely across the upper and middle part of the thigh in an inferomedial direction. It then descends to the medial side of the knee, passing behind the medial condyle of the femur to end in a tendon. This tendon curves anteriorly to join the tendons of the gracilis and semitendinosus muscles at the pes anserinus, where it inserts into the superomedial surface of the tibia.

Function

The sartorius muscle can perform the actions of flexion, abduction and lateral rotation at the hip joint, and flexion at the knee joint. This makes it a biarticular muscle. It is innervated by the femoral nerve.

Clinical significance

Injury to the sartorius muscle or its nerve supply can cause a loss of the ability to perform its actions. This can result in difficulty in crossing the legs or bringing the knee towards the chest.

See also

• List of muscles of the human body
• Thigh