quadriceps femoris

(noun)

A group of four muscles found in the anterior region of the thigh, responsible for extension of the lower leg at the knee.

Related Terms

  • quadriceps femori
  • popliteus
  • hamstring group
  • quadriceps
  • patellar reflex

Examples of quadriceps femoris in the following topics:

  • Muscles that Cause Movement at the Knee Joint

    • Three sets of muscles (popliteus, quadriceps and hamstrings) allow for movement, balance, and stability at the knee joint.
    • The patella is the attachment point for the quadriceps femoris muscle and is the attached by a ligament to the tibia.
    • This increases the leverage afforded to the quadriceps femoris muscle, thus increasing its efficiency when extending the lower leg.
    • Quadriceps Femoris – The quadriceps femoris is actually composed of four muscles that comprise the front of the thigh: three deep-lying vastus muscles (lateralis, intermedius, and medialis) and the rectus femoris which covers them.
    • The rectus femoris additionally facilitates rotation at the hip.
  • Lumbar Plexus

    • It gives motor innervation to iliopsoas, pectineus, sartorius, and quadriceps femoris and sensory innervation to the anterior thigh, posterior lower leg, and hindfoot.
  • Overview of Motor Integration

    • The quadriceps muscles contain many thousands of muscle fibers in general, both slow and fast twitch, to produce sufficient force for body movements such as standing, walking, running, and jumping.
    • The rectus femoris muscle is one of the four quadriceps muscles of the human body.
  • Patella (The Knee)

    • The patella serves two functions, to protect the knee from physical trauma and to enhance the leverage that the quadriceps tendon can exert on the femur increasing muscle efficiency.
    • The base of the patella faces superiorly and is the attachment point for the quadriceps tendon.
  • Patellofemoral Stress Syndrome

    • Quadriceps strengthening is commonly suggested because the quadricep muscles help to stabilize the patella.
  • Muscles that Cause Movement at the Hip Joint

    • Quadratus Femoris - The quadratus femoris is a flat, square-shaped muscle (actually composed of four distinct muscles).
    • Biceps Femoris – A similar muscle to the biceps brachii in the upper arm, also double-headed.
    • Two synergistic muscles are associated with the biceps femoris, the semitendinosus, and the semimembranosus.
    • Produced by the lateral rotator group of muscles and the biceps femoris, sartorius, and gluteus medius and minimus.
  • Tibia and Fibula (The Leg)

    • Proximally the fibula head articulates with the lateral condyle of the tibia, the biceps femoris attaches to the fibula head.
  • Knee Injuries

    • In the knee the quadriceps and patellar tendon can sometimes tear.
  • How Skeletal Muscles Are Named

    • The rectus femoris found in the thigh, and responsible for its flexion, is an example of a bipennate muscle.
  • Human Appendicular Skeleton

    • The patella, or kneecap, is a triangular bone that lies anterior to the knee joint; it is embedded in the tendon of the femoral extensors (quadriceps).
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