Muscles of the human legs: structure. Human anatomy: leg muscles

The lower extremities perform the supporting and motor functions. When the low support moves to a high, that is, to the back, upper limbs or buttocks, the muscles work changes along with the direction of the thrust. The character becomes different when moving with one or the other limb.

The article considers the anatomy of the foot as a whole and the structure of the muscles of the human foot in particular.

Bones and Joints

A strong bone base to the lower extremities is provided by the femoral, large and small tibia. The main burden falls on them. In this case, the largest in this part, and in the whole body is the femur. Small and tibia together constitute the lower leg, and from below is a foot where the bones have a complex structure with a large number of small bones. Between them are the joints, due to which the foot becomes so mobile. It allows a person to occupy a stable position.

The largest joints in the legs are the hip, ankle and knee, each of which is responsible for any movements. If they begin to function incorrectly, then the movement becomes difficult, and even can become impossible at all.

Blood vessels and nerve endings

Lower limbs need a lot of oxygen and nutrition. Therefore, here is developed an extensive vascular system that provides this part with blood. The main vessel here is the femoral artery. All the blood in the lower limbs is provided through it. Further, it branches into a number of branches, which ultimately form a capillary network. The veins repeat the course of the artery.

Without nerve impulses, movements would be impossible. The nerves approach the muscles, activating them when necessary. The structure of the foot as a whole and the structure of the muscles of the human foot (photo below) is in particular based on the same laws as the whole organism. Therefore, if the nerves are damaged, the movements will be disturbed, up to paralysis.

Such is the anatomy of man in this part. The muscles of the legs, their structure and location, we will now consider in more detail.

Muscles

The muscles of the lower limbs are more powerful than the muscles of the hands. But, on the other hand, they are not as accurate as on the upper limbs. The muscles of the legs of a man have the greatest physical load. For example, the strength of the support when jumping from a professional athlete is more than six hundred kilograms. Even more load they experience when jumping in height, followed by repulsion.

In all these and other movements, not only the muscles of the legs of a person participate, but also the muscles of other groups: the arms, the shoulder girdle, the trunk. This load is called global, because it requires a lot of energy.

Human anatomy: leg muscles

The muscles of this part of the body are divided into four groups:

1. Anterior thigh band.

2. Rear hip group.

3. Buttocks.

4. Muscles of lower leg.

Let's look at each of these groups in detail.

Anterior thigh band

The muscles of the human foot in this part have "quadriceps", since they have four heads:

• Straight muscle;
• An internal wide muscle;
• External rectus muscle;
• Medium broad muscle.

The quadriceps is the most powerful of all the muscles on the human body. It runs along the entire front surface, where it intersects the oblique sartorial muscle.

All the heads of the quadriceps muscle converge in the lower part of the thigh in the common tendon.

The straight muscle is bicentenary and the longest. It spreads to the knee and reaches the middle of the thigh, after which it narrows and turns into a tendon that fuses with a kneecap. Located on the front surface, it comes and ends at the tibial tuberosus.

The inner broad muscle is thick. It is located on the anterior-medial surface and covers the rectus from the anterior margin. Internally, it contacts the medial group. In some places it is covered by a sartorius muscle. Bunches of muscles that surround the antero-medial surface go forward and downward in an oblique direction. In the lower femoral part, it passes into the tendon, connecting with the tendon of the rectus muscle of the human legs.

The outer broad muscle is flat, being on the front outer surface. In places it is covered by a muscle that strains a wide fascia. The front edge is covered with a straight muscle. Bunches of muscles go forward and downward in an oblique direction, covering the femur in front, and below turn into a tendon, weaving into it (the tendon of the rectus muscle).

The average wide muscle is the weakest of the four. It is flat and the thinnest of them and is on the front surface. The middle broad muscle is covered by a straight line, starting from the intertwine line within its ¾ on top. The bundles go strictly downward in a vertical direction, turning into a flat tendon. At the bottom of the hip, the tendon is attached to another tendon related to the rectus muscle.

The main function performed by the quadriceps muscle is the extension of the leg in the knee. The two-part muscle is involved in flexing the hip and tilting the pelvis forward.

The muscles of the legs, photos of which are presented in the article, are a complex system of our body.

Back hip band

In this part, closer to the sides, there is a biceps femoris muscle. As its name suggests, it consists of two heads:

• Long, originating from the ischial hillock;
• Short, emanating from a third of the lateral lip in the middle.

Its main function is to bend the knee in the knee and extend the thigh. In addition, along with the large gluteus muscle, it unbends the trunk with a strengthened shin.

Buttocks

This part includes the following muscles of the legs of a person:

• Gluteal gland;
• The middle gluteal gland;
• Small buttock.

The first occupies the entire surface of the buttocks. Therefore, the shape of the buttocks depends largely on it. Muscle originates in the ilium, coccyx and dorsal sacral surface. The main task is to ensure the movement of the hip joint: straightening of the trunk, and also the retraction of the legs.

Muscles of lower leg

Considering further the structure of the muscles of a person's leg, next to say that they end in the region of the shin. There is a three-headed muscle, consisting of two, which have a common tendon.

The gastrocnemius muscle originates in the femur over the condyles of a pair of heads, passing into the tendon. Then it continues in the massive Achilles tendon that connects to the posterior surface of the calcaneus.

Another muscle is called soleus. It is fleshy and thick, located along the gastrocnemius muscle and stretches over a large part of the bones of the shin. It originates on the head and upper third of the fibula, descends on the tibia, without touching the middle third of the lower leg. At the end it passes into the Achilles tendon.

The back muscle is plantar, which begins above the condyle of the hip and knee joint (capsule). It merges with a thin and long tendon, fastened to the hillock heel. However, this muscle may not be at all.

A lot of experts call ankle muscles stubborn, as developing in this part of the body force becomes a very troublesome business. Long and dynamic loads made the described groups very hardy. Therefore, it is even harder to develop them. But if necessary, coaches make up special sets of exercises for these muscles.