Thigh

Thigh refers to the portion of the lower limb between the hip and knee joints. Note that in an anatomical context "leg" refers to the portion between the knee and ankle joints and not to the entire lower limb.

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Anatomy: Lower limb

Anatomy: Lower limb

• skeleton of the lower limb
  • pelvis
    • sacrum
    • innominate bones
      • ilium
      • ischium
      • pubis
        • pubic symphysis
    • acetabulum
      • acetabular labrum
        • perilabral sulcus
      • acetabular notch
        • accessory superior acetabular notch
      • acetabular foramen
      • supra-acetabular fossa
      • acetabular fossa
  • femur
    • calcar femorale
    • linea aspera
    • intertrochanteric line
    • intertrochanteric crest
  • patella
    • variants
      • bipartite patella
      • multipartite patella
      • absent patella
      • dorsal defect of the patella
  • tibia
    • tibial plateau
      • intercondylar area
    • Gerdy's tubercle
  • fibula
  • foot
    • tarsal bones (mnemonic)
      • calcaneus
        • peroneal tubercle
        • retrotrochlear eminence
        • sustentaculum tali
      • talus
      • navicular
      • medial cuneiform
      • intermediate cuneiform
      • lateral cuneiform
      • cuboid
      • variants
        • bipartite medial cuneiform
        • tarsal coalition
          • talocalcaneal coalition
          • calcaneonavicular coalition
    • metatarsals
      • apophysis of the proximal 5th metatarsal
    • phalanges
      • symphalangism
  • ossicles of the lower limb
    • os acetabuli
    • os fabella
    • cyamella
    • ossicles of the foot
      • accessory navicular
      • os peroneum
      • os subfibulare
      • os subtibiale
      • os trigonum
      • os calcaneus secundaris
      • os intermetatarseum
      • os supratalare
      • hallux sesamoid
        • multipartite hallux sesamoid
      • os supranaviculare
      • os vesalianum
• joints of the lower limb
  • hip joint
    • ligaments
      • iliofemoral ligament
      • pubofemoral ligament
      • ischiofemoral ligament
      • transverse acetabular ligament
      • transverse ligament of the hip
      • ligamentum teres of the hip
    • muscles
    • additional structures
      • hip joint capsule
      • zona orbicularis
      • iliotibial band
      • hip bursae
        • anterior
          • iliopsoas bursa (iliopectineal bursa)
        • lateral
          • subgluteal bursae
            • greater trochanteric bursa (subgluteus maximus bursa)
            • ​subgluteus medius bursa
            • subgluteus minimus bursa
          • gluteofemoral bursa
        • postero-inferior
          • obturator externus bursa
          • obturator internus bursa
          • ischiogluteal bursa
    • ossification centers
  • knee joint
    • ligaments
      • anterior cruciate ligament
      • posterior cruciate ligament
      • medial collateral ligament
      • lateral collateral ligament
      • meniscofemoral ligament (mnemonic)
      • posterolateral ligamentous complex
        • arcuate ligament​​​​
      • patellar tendon and quadriceps tendon
      • anterolateral ligament
      • posterior oblique ligament
      • oblique popliteal ligament
      • medial patellofemoral ligament
    • additional structures
      • extensor mechanism of the knee
        • fat pads
          • anterior knee fat pads
            • infrapatellar fat pad (of Hoffa)
            • posterior suprapatellar (prefemoral or supratrochlear) fat pad
            • anterior suprapatellar (quadriceps) fat pad
      • groove for the popliteus tendon
      • ​knee bursae
      • knee capsule
        • knee synovial membrane
        • synovial plicae of the knee
          • ligamentum mucosum
          • medial patellar plica
      • lateral patellar retinaculum
      • medial patellar retinaculum
      • menisci
        • discoid meniscus
        • ring meniscus
      • pes anserinus (mnemonic)
        • pes anserinus bursa
    • ossification centers
  • tibiofibular joints
    • proximal tibiofibular joint
    • distal tibiofibular syndesmosis
      • ligaments
        • anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament
          • accessory anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament
        • posterior inferior tibiofibular ligament
  • ankle joint
    • regional anatomy
      • medial ankle
      • lateral ankle
      • anterior ankle
    • ligaments
      • medial collateral (deltoid) ligament
        • superficial layer
          • tibionavicular ligament
          • tibiospring ligament
          • tibiocalcaneal ligament
          • superficial posterior tibiotalar ligament 
        • deep layer
          • anterior tibiotalar ligament
          • deep posterior tibiotalar ligament
      • lateral collateral ligament
        • anterior talofibular ligament
        • posterior talofibular ligament
        • calcaneofibular ligament
      • additional structures
        • flexor retinaculum
        • extensor retinaculum (mnemonic)
        • peroneal retinaculum
      • ankle bursae
        • retrocalcaneal bursa
        • subcutaneous calcaneal bursa
    • ossification centers of the ankle
    • variants
      • ball and socket ankle joint
  • foot joints
    • subtalar joint
      • articulations
        • talocalcaneal joint
      • ligaments
        • interosseous talocalcaneal ligament
        • spring ligament complex
        • bifurcate ligament
        • cervical ligament
        • collateral ligaments
      • associated structures
        • tarsal sinus
        • longitudinal arch
        • transverse arch
    • mid-tarsal (Chopart) joint
      • talonavicular joint
      • calcaneocuboid joint
    • tarsometatarsal (Lisfranc) joint
      • ligaments
        • Lisfranc ligament
    • intermetatarsal joint
    • metatarsophalangeal joint
      • intermetatarsal bursa
    • interphalangeal joint
    • ossification centers
• spaces of the lower limb
  • adductor canal
  • femoral sheath
    • femoral canal
      • femoral ring
  • femoral triangle (contents mnemonic | boundaries mnemonic)
  • foot subdivisions
    • hindfoot
    • midfoot
    • forefoot
  • popliteal fossa (mnemonic)
  • spring ligament recess
  • tarsal tunnel (mnemonic)
  • triangular space of cruciate ligaments
• muscles of the lower limb
  • muscles of the pelvic group
    • inner hip group
      • iliopsoas muscle
    • gluteal region
      • gluteal muscles
        • gluteus maximus muscle
        • gluteus medius muscle
        • gluteus minimus muscle
      • tensor fasciae latae muscle
      • accessory gluteal muscles
        • gluteus quartus muscle
    • lateral rotator group
      • piriformis muscle
      • superior gemellus muscle
      • obturator internus muscle
      • inferior gemellus muscle
      • quadratus femoris muscle
  • muscles of the thigh
    • anterior compartment of the thigh
      • sartorius muscle
      • pectineus muscle
      • quadriceps muscle group
        • rectus femoris muscle
        • vastus lateralis muscle
        • vastus intermedius muscle
        • vastus medialis muscle
      • articularis genu muscle
    • posterior compartment of the thigh (hamstrings)
      • biceps femoris muscle
      • semitendinosus muscle
        • tensor fasciae suralis muscle
      • semimembranosus muscle
        • accessory semimembranosus muscle
        • semimembranosus bursa
    • medial compartment of the thigh
      • obturator externus muscle
      • gracilis muscle
      • adductor longus muscle
      • adductor brevis muscle
      • adductor magnus muscle
      • adductor minimus muscle
  • muscles of the leg
    • anterior compartment of the leg
      • tibialis anterior muscle
      • extensor hallucis longus muscle
      • extensor digitorum longus muscle
      • peroneus tertius muscle
    • posterior compartments of the leg
      • superficial posterior compartment of the leg (calf)
        • triceps surae muscle
          • medial and lateral heads of the gastrocnemius muscle
          • soleus muscle
            • accessory soleus muscle
        • plantaris muscle
        • calcaneal tendon
      • deep posterior compartment of the leg
        • accessory flexor digitorum longus muscle
        • flexor digitorum longus muscle
          • knot of Henry
        • flexor hallucis longus muscle
        • popliteus muscle
        • tibialis posterior muscle
    • lateral compartment of the leg
      • peroneus brevis muscle
      • peroneus longus muscle
  • muscles of the foot
    • dorsal muscles
      • extensor hallucis brevis muscle
      • extensor digitorum brevis muscle
    • plantar muscles
      • 1st layer
        • abductor hallucis muscle
        • flexor digitorum brevis muscle
        • abductor digiti minimi muscle
      • 2nd layer
        • quadratus plantae muscle
        • lumbrical muscles
      • 3rd layer
        • flexor hallucis brevis muscle
        • adductor hallucis muscle
        • flexor digiti minimi brevis muscle
      • 4th layer
        • dorsal interossei muscles
        • plantar interossei muscles
  • accessory muscles
    • accessory peroneal muscles
• vascular supply of the lower limb
  • arterial supply of the lower limb
    • femoral artery
      • profunda femoris artery (mnemonic)
        • medial circumflex femoral artery
        • lateral circumflex femoral artery
          • descending branch of the lateral circumflex
        • descending geniculate artery
    • popliteal artery
      • anterior tibial artery
        • recurrent tibial arteries
        • anterior lateral malleolar artery
        • anterior medial malleolar artery
        • dorsalis pedis
      • tibioperoneal trunk
        • fibular artery (peroneal artery)
          • peroneal magnus artery
        • posterior tibial artery
          • circumflex fibular artery
          • medial plantar artery
          • lateral plantar artery
            • plantar arch
    • arterial supply of the foot
  • venous drainage of the lower limb
    • deep system
      • common femoral vein
        • femoral vein
          • deep femoral vein
          • popliteal vein
            • peroneal vein
            • posterior tibial vein
            • anterior tibial vein
    • superficial system
      • great saphenous vein
        • dorsal venous plexus
      • small saphenous vein
        • vein of Giacomini
      • lateral marginal vein
    • venous drainage of the foot
• innervation of the lower limb
  • lumbar plexus (mnemonic)
    • femoral nerve
      • saphenous nerve
    • obturator nerve
  • sacral plexus
    • sciatic nerve (motor distribution)
      • common peroneal nerve
        • superficial peroneal nerve
        • deep peroneal nerve
      • tibial nerve
        • sural nerve
        • medial calcaneal nerve
        • medial plantar nerve
        • lateral plantar nerve
• lymphatic system of the lower limb
  • lymphatic pathways
    • anteromedial group
    • anterolateral group
    • posteromedial group
    • posterolateral group
  • lower limb lymph nodes
    • inguinal lymph nodes
      • superficial inguinal lymph nodes
      • deep inguinal lymph nodes
    • popliteal lymph nodes