The thigh is the part of the body about which many have not quite clear ideas. Many consider it, for example, the lateral region of the pelvis. And the thigh is, however, the part of the leg between the hip joint and the knee. We will be able to present the structure and determine its functions by analyzing in detail the bone, muscle, nervous and circulatory structure of this part of the body.
What is a hip?
Hip (lat. Femur) - the proximal component of the lower extremities of a person, located between the hip and knee joint. Its presence is also characteristic of other mammals, birds, insects.
The anatomy of the human thigh is as follows:
- Above is limited to the inguinal ligament.
- Top and back - gluteus ligament.
- Bottom - a line that can be drawn above the patella by 5 cm.
To understand that this is a hip, we will thoroughly analyze its structure.
Bone structure
At the base of the thigh there is only one bone - tubular or femur. An interesting fact: it is the longest and strongest in a person, approximately equal to 1/4 of his height. Her body is cylindrical in shape, slightly bent anteriorly and widening downward. The back surface is rough - this is necessary for muscle attachment.
The head of the bone with the articular surface is located on the proximal (upper) pineal gland. Its function is articulation with the acetabulum. The head is connected to the body of the thigh bone by a neck that is clearly visible on the anatomical atlas. Where the latter passes into the body of the femur, two tubercles, called the greater and lesser trochanter , are visible. The first can be easily felt under the skin. All of the above serves to attach the muscles.
At the distal (lower) end, the femur bone passes into two condyles, one of which is lateral, the other is medial, and between them is the intercondylar fossa. The departments themselves have articular surfaces that help the femur to articulate with the tibia and patella. On its lateral parts, just above the condyles, there are epicondyles - also medial and lateral. The thigh ligaments are attached to them. That the condyles, that the epicondyles are easily palpated under the skin.
Muscle structure
Considering the structure of the human thigh, one cannot ignore the musculature. It is she who helps to make rotational and flexion movements with this part of the body. Muscles envelop the femur on all sides, being divided into the following groups:
We will analyze each in a separate subtitle.
Front muscles
Let's look at the front muscle group.
Muscle name | Task | Muscle start | Attachment |
Four-headed: wide intermediate straight, wide medial wide lateral. | Extension of the hind limb in the knee joint. The rectus muscle has its own separate function - a bend in the hip joint of a limb to an angle of 90 degrees. | Intermediate: intertrochanteric femoral line. Lateral: intertrochanteric vector, large trochanter, lateral lip of a wide femoral line. Medial: the medial lip of the rough femoral line. Direct: fissure supraclavicular, iliac anterior lower spine. | Tibial tubercles, the medial part of the knee pad. |
Tailoring | Bend of the leg in the knee and hip joint, rotation of the thigh outward, and shins inward. | Iliac anterior superior spine. | Tubercles of the tibial type of bone, interweaving in the ankle fascia. |
We move on to the next large muscle group.
Medial muscles
We now turn our attention to the medial group of the hip muscles.
| Muscle name | Task | Muscle start | Attachment |
| Crest muscle | The bend of the limb in the hip joint while bringing it in and outward rotation. | Upper branch of the pubic bone, pubic crest. | The crest muscle is attached to the upper part of the femur: between the rough surface and the back of the lesser trochanter. |
| Leading big | Adduction, rotation of the thigh, extension. | The lower branch of the pubic bone, the sciatic tubercle, the branch of the ischium. | The rough part of the tubular bone. |
| Leading long | Bringing, bending, outward rotation of the thigh. | The outer part of the pubic bone. | Median lip of rough thigh vector. |
| Leading short | Bringing, outward rotation, hip bend. | The external solid surface, the lower branch of the pubic bone. | Grungy hip bone vector. |
| Thin | Reduction of an allotted limb, participation in flexion in the knee joint. | The lower branch of the pubic bone, lower part of the pubic symphysis. | Tibial tubercles. |
And finally, get acquainted with the last muscle group of this part of the body.
Back muscles
Imagine a group of back muscles of the thigh.
| Muscle name | Task | Muscle start | Attachment |
Biceps femoris muscle: long and short head | Flexion of the leg in the knee joint and extension in the hip, outward rotation of the lower leg with a bent knee, in the case when the limb is fixed, in the hip joint extends the torso, acting in a team with the gluteus maximus muscle. | Long head of the biceps femoris: iliac-sacral ligament, apex of the middle surface of the sciatic tubercle. Short head: upper side of the lateral epicondyle, lateral lip of the rough vector, intermuscular femoral lateral septum. | The outer part of the lateral condyle of the tibia, the head of the bone of the fibula. |
| Semi-tendon | Flexion of the leg in the knee and extension in the hip joint, rotation of the lower leg inward with a bent knee, extension of the trunk in the hip joint in cooperation with the gluteus maximus muscle with a fixed leg position. | The tubercle is sciatic. | The upper side of the tibia. |
| Semi-webbed | The tubercle is sciatic. | The tendons of this muscle diverge into three bundles: the first is attached to the collateral tibial ligament, the second is the formation of the popliteal oblique ligament, the third is the transition to the fascia of the popliteal muscles, attachment to the vector of the soleus muscle of the tibia. |
With muscles, bones, and hips, that's all. We proceed to the next section.
Vessels passing through the thigh
Many vessels pass through the thigh, each of which has its own task of nourishing a certain tissue. Consider the most important of them.
One of the main ones is the iliac external artery, passing through the medial edge, descending behind the inguinal ligament (abdominal region). Supplies blood to tissues through two branches:
- Front The deep artery that surrounds the ilium. Its task is how to nourish the bone itself and the muscle of the same name with blood.
- Lower. Passes midline inside the peritoneum. Function - blood circulation in the umbilical fold.
The pubic network of arteries, which forms the obstructive network of blood vessels, is very important for the body. Damage to it can quickly lead to death, which is why this network is called the "crown of death." It nourishes the abdominal muscles, passes through the genitals.
It is impossible not to mention the femoral artery of the same name , which is considered a continuation of the external. Its beginning is in the front of the thigh. Then it leads to the back of the popliteal fossa, the gunther canal. It is divided into the following branches:
- Two thin outer ones that go through the reproductive system. Nourish the lymph nodes and adjacent tissue.
- The epigastric superficial branch extending along the anterior abdominal wall to the navel, where it branches into smaller subcutaneous vessels.
- The superficial branch enveloping the ilium and intertwining with the epigastric superficial vessels.
Large deep branch. This is the most important artery here, feeding both the thigh, foot and lower leg. In turn, it branches into the following vessels:
- The lateral envelope of the femur.
- The medial vein of the thigh along the back surface. Its three branches: deep, transverse and ascending - carry blood to the hip joint, its muscles and adjacent tissues. Three perforating arteries: they bend around and nourish the bone of the thigh, the external muscles of the pelvis, and the skin.
- The descending knee artery. It consists of thin and long vessels that intertwine in the knee.
Another important femoral artery is the popliteal. It consists of two plexuses - the anterior and posterior tibial arteries.
Nervous structure
The vast majority of the nerve endings of the legs originates from the lumbar plexus. Therefore, in violation of its integrity, many complain about the muscles of the hip, flexion knee functions. There are two main nerves of the thigh - deep and femoral. Then they branch along the lower extremities, forming their web, part of which will be, for example, the external cutaneous nerve of the thigh.
The femoral nerve passes through the back and outer thighs, the pelvis. The obturator also follows through the pelvic region, but extends already into the inner femoral surface.
The sacral nerve plexus, which forms under the piriformis muscle, is also important in the pelvis. Through the gluteal fold, it descends to the posterior region of the thigh, then to divide into the tibial and peroneal nerve.
Diseases and pathologies
Cases of pathologies of the femoral muscles, blood vessels, bones, nerves are not uncommon. Some are already noticeable during fetal development on an ultrasound scan - congenital amputation of this part of the body or its joints. Some can be determined only after the birth of the baby on an x-ray. Among them, there is a slowdown in the development of ossification nuclei, dysplasia.
Diseases can also haunt people with normal hip anatomy due to infection, poor diet, inadequate or heavy workload. We must not forget about injuries, torn tissues, bruises of the hip, fractures of the tubular bone.
Diagnosis and treatment
If you have damaged the hip area, you have a suspicion of the development of pathology, then you need to contact an orthopedic specialist. Diagnosis consists in examination, palpation, and then in the analysis and instrumental methods - x-rays, tomography, angiography, electromyography, etc.
The methods of treatment depend on the severity of the disease, the age of the patient, the nature of the pathology. At the beginning, conservative therapy - splint, gypsum, medications, massage, physiotherapy, gymnastics. If this complex does not lead to a satisfactory result, the hip joint is changed to artificial during surgery.
Interesting Facts
At the end of the topic “What is this hip”, we will introduce interesting facts:
- The skin on the medial part of the thigh is thinner, mobile and elastic than on the outside.
- Subcutaneous tissue in the thigh area is more developed in women than in men.
- The deposition of fat in the thighs and buttocks will help avoid diabetes. The lipids located here produce leptin and adiponectin, which inhibit the development of this disease and several others.
The thigh is one of the areas of the human body, the upper leg. Like all other areas of the body, it has a unique and complex structure.