Vastus lateralis muscle

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Vastus lateralis
)
Vastus lateralis muscle
Antagonist
Hamstring
Identifiers
Latinmusculus vastus lateralis or musculus vastus externus
TA98A04.7.02.021
TA22618
FMA22431
Anatomical terms of muscle]

The vastus lateralis (

quadriceps femoris, a muscle in the thigh. Together with other muscles of the quadriceps group, it serves to extend the knee joint, moving the lower leg forward. It arises from a series of flat, broad tendons attached to the femur, and attaches to the outer border of the patella. It ultimately joins with the other muscles that make up the quadriceps in the quadriceps tendon, which travels over the knee to connect to the tibia. The vastus lateralis is the recommended site for intramuscular injection in infants less than 7 months old and those unable to walk, with loss of muscular tone.[2]

Structure

The vastus lateralis muscle arises from several areas of the

biceps femoris
.

The fibers form a large fleshy mass, attached to a second strong aponeurosis, placed on the deep surface of the lower part of the muscle. This lower aponeurosis becomes contracted and thickened into a flat tendon that attaches to the outer border of the

knee-joint
.

Innervation

The vastus lateralis muscle is innervated by the muscular branches of the femoral nerve (L2, L3, and L4).

Additional images

References

Public domain This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 470 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

  1. PMID 17232970
    .
  2. ^ Mann, E. (2016). Injection (Intramuscular): Clinician Information. The Johanna Briggs Institute.

External links

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