Sartorius

The sartorius (Latin: musculus sartorius) is the longest muscle in the human body. It is a superficial and thin muscle located in the anterior compartment of the thigh. The sartorius travels obliquely down the length of the thigh, stretching from the ilium of the hip bone to the medial aspect of the tibia.

Origin

The sartorius muscle originates from the anterior superior iliac spine of the ilium.

Insertion

The sartorius inserts on the proximal end of the tibia below the medial condyle via the pes anserinus . The distal end of the sartorius tendon blends with tendons of the semitendinosus and gracilis muscles and forms a common tendon called the pes anserinus.

Action

The sartorius muscle provides flexion, abduction and external rotation of the thigh at the hip joint and flexion and internal rotation of the leg at the knee joint.

Innervation

The sartorius is innervated by the femoral nerve (L2 - L4) arising from the lumbar plexus.

Blood supply

The sartorius muscle mainly receives arterial blood supply from the branches of the femoral artery. However, the deep femoral, lateral circumflex femoral, descending genicular, superficial circumflex iliac and superficial femoral arteries also give branches and supply the muscle.