what is gracilis muscle

What is the medical term for gracilis?

Anatomical terms of muscle. The gracilis muscle (/ˈɡræsɪlɪs/; Latin for "slender") is the most superficial muscle on the medial side of the thigh. It is thin and flattened, broad above, narrow and tapering below.

What is the adductor gracilis?

It forms part of the adductor muscle group together with adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus and pectineus muscles. Gracilis is the most superficial hip adductor, overlying the remaining four.

What is the origin and insertion of the gracilis?

The gracilis muscle is a flat and thin muscle located superficially in the medial thigh. Here are some key points: Location: 2-3 fingers medial and posterior to adductor longus Origin is Broad: pubic symphysis, inferior pubic ramus, ischium. Insertion is Thin: medial condyle of the tibia and medial tibial surface

What innervates the gracilis muscle?

The gracilis muscle is innervated by the anterior branch of the obturator nerve. This nerve also innervates the adductor longus, another groin muscle and adductor of the thigh. The obturator nerve arises from lumbar level two, three, and four in your lower back. Blood supply to the gracilis muscle is via the medial circumflex femoral artery.

What is the function of the gracilis muscle?

Function. Due to its attachment on the tibia, the gracilis flexes the knee, adducts the thigh, and medially rotate the tibia on the femur.

What causes pain in the gracilis muscle?

An injury to your low back may cause irritation of the nerve that supplies information to your gracilis. Herniated discs, disc degeneration, or lumbar facet arthritis can pinch on nerves, leading to pain or weakness in your gracilis.

What is the gracilis muscle an example of?

Gracilis muscle is a long and slender muscle located in the medial (adductor) compartment of the thigh. It forms part of the adductor muscle group together with adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus and pectineus muscles. Gracilis is the most superficial hip adductor, overlying the remaining four.

How do you release a tight gracilis?

0:362:19Gracilis Stretch : Stretching Techniques - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou're gonna call it onto the floor you're going to bring the soles of the feet together. About anMoreYou're gonna call it onto the floor you're going to bring the soles of the feet together. About an inch and a half away from the pubis. You're gonna grab the ankles you're gonna lengthen the spine

Can gracilis cause knee pain?

Another rare PA pathology is 'snapping PA syndrome,' which causes medial knee snapping. This snapping sensation results from a translation of the PA tendons (usually gracilis or semitendinosus) across the posteromedial aspect of the medial femoral condyle and tibia during knee movement(14,15).

Is gracilis a hamstring?

Of the four hamstring muscles, the gracilis is the thinnest. It is sandwiched between two other muscles, which may help protect it in most people. It is described as a striplike muscle. It's a long muscle that crosses two joints (the hip and the knee), which can put it at a mechanical disadvantage.

Which muscle is marriage muscle?

Sartorius muscle is known as honeymoon muscle as it causes abduction and lateral rotation at hip ...

Is gracilis a hip flexor?

What most people don't know is that there are actually TEN hip flexors. Yes, that's right, TEN! Secondary hip flexors: Pectineus, Adductor Brevis, Adductor Longus, Gracilis, and last but not least, Adductor Magnus.

What muscle runs down the inside of your thigh?

Adductors include five muscles: gracilis, obturator externus, adductor brevis, adductor longus and adductor magnus. They are on the inside of the thigh, starting at the pelvis and extending to the femur (thigh bone). Hamstrings are a group of three muscles: semitendinosus, semimembranosus and biceps femoris.

What causes pain in the adductor longus muscle?

A strain typically occurs because of an athletic injury or awkward movement of the hip joint, which leads to stretching or tearing of the inner thigh muscles. The adductor longus, running from the pubic region of the pelvis down the inner thigh, is the most common location of injury.

What is the role of Gracilis in hip and knee joint?

Gracilis acts on the hip and knee joints, resulting in several movements: Strong leg flexion and medial (internal) rotation around the knee joint when the knee is in a semiflexed position. Weak thigh flexion and adduction around the hip joint, simply aiding the other, more powerful thigh adductors.

What muscle extends from the coxal bone to the tibia?

Gracilis extends from the coxal bone to the tibia and thanks to it, you are capable of thigh adduction and flexion, as well as leg flexion and medial (internal) rotation. These actions have several important roles, for instance to balance the trunk during walking. Key facts about the gracilis muscle. Origin.

What muscle is the Pes Anserinus?

S artorius muscle. G racilis muscle. S emitendinosus muscle. Pes anserinus, and hence the gracilis muscle, attaches to the medial surface of proximal tibia inferior to the condyle.

What is the most superficial muscle in the medial thigh?

Relations. Gracilis is the most superficial muscle of the medial (adductor) compartment of the thigh. It is overlaid superficially by the skin and subcutaneous tissue, while its medial part is also covered by the deep layer of fascia lata.

How to test gracilis?

To test the anatomy and range of movements of the gracilis, the patient needs to flex the leg against resistance and rotate it medially. This combination evidentiates the location of the gracilis tendon superomedially to the popliteal fossa of the knee. It is the most medial and anterior, or upper, tendon of this region. The gracilis can be palpated all the way to its origin if the tendon is traced proximally. Testing the movements of the gracilis is carried out by flexing the patient’s knee to approximately ninety degrees, internally rotating the leg, and maintaining these positions while adducting the thigh.

Which tendon is more proximally attached to the pes anserinus?

Within the pes anserinus, the gracilis tendon attaches more proximally than the tendons of semitendinosus and sartorius. Some tendinous fibers of the gracilis slip into the deep fascia of the lower leg while others can often blend with the tendon of the medial head of gastrocnemius muscle .

Which tendon passes through the medial condyle of the femur?

The muscle fibers travel inferiorly and eventually blend into a round tendon which courses posterior to the sartorius tendon and passes the medial condyle of femur. At the level of the proximal part of tibia, the gracilis tendon curves and then fans out around the medial condyle of tibia.

Which nerve innervates the lumbar spine?

The obturator nerve innervates this muscle via the lumbar spinal vertebrae. Injury to this area can lead to more than simple muscle problems; nerve impingement (pressure on the nerve) can restrict muscle control and sensory input coming from the groin area.

Which muscle is used to adduct the hip?

There are five groin muscles used in adducting the hip, including the pectineus, adductor brevis, adductor longus, adductor magnus, and the gracilis muscle. Stretching the groin helps prevent strain injuries to the gracilis.

Where is the gracilis muscle located?

Gracilis. The gracilis muscle is one of the muscles found in the groin. It starts at the external point of the ischiopubic ramus (on the pubic bone) and extends down to the upper medial (middle) shaft of the tibia, or shinbone. The gracilis is responsible for hip adduction and assists knee flexion. Adduction means the body part is moved from ...

Which muscle is responsible for hip adduction?

The gracilis is responsible for hip adduction and assists knee flexion. Adduction means the body part is moved from the outside toward the center of the body. In this case, it is bringing both legs together or across the body. This muscle also assists in stabilizing and rotating the knee inward.

Where does the obturator nerve radiate pain?

Impingement of the obturator nerve usually leads to radiating pain starting at the hip, and generally extending downward to the knee or beyond. Last medically reviewed on April 1, 2015.

What is the muscle called that is used for reconstructive surgery?

Gracilis muscle is widely used in reconstructive surgery (graciloplasty), either as a pedicled flap or as a free microsurgical flap. Both pedicled and free flaps can be muscular or musculocutaneos (the so- called "composite flaps").

What is the procedure to transfer the gracilis muscle?

As a functioning pedicled flap, the gracilis muscle can be transferred for the treatment of anal incontinence. This technique called graciloplasty was described in the 1950s by Pickrell and was revolutionized in the late 1980s by the introduction of chronic muscle electro-stimulation.

What is the gracilis muscle used for?

As a pedicled flap, gracilis muscle can be used in perineal and vaginal reconstruction, after oncological surgery, in the treatment of recurrent anovaginal and rectovaginal fistulas as well in the coverage of the neurovascular bundle after vascular surgery.

What is a gracilis flap?

The gracilis microsurgical free flap is commonly used in the reconstruction of upper and lower limbs, in breast reconstruction and – as a free functioning flap – to restore forearm function or in dynamic reconstruction of facial paralysis. Gracilis Muscles Clinical Role.

What type of blood supply is the gracilis muscle?

The gracilis muscle is commonly used as a flap in microsurgery. According to the classification of Mathes and Nahai, it presents a type II blood supply, allowing it to be transferred on its artery derived from the medial circumflex femoral artery. This artery enters the muscle about 10 cm from the pubic symphysis.

What are the structures surrounding the right hip joint?

Muscles of the gluteal and posterior femoral regions. The left femoral triangle. Nerves of the right lower extremity. Front view. Gracilis muscle. Gracilis muscle. Gracilis muscle.

Which nerve is in relation to the fascia lata?

By its inner or superficial surface gracilis is in relation with the fascia lata, and below with the sartorius and internal saphenous nerve; the internal saphenous vein crosses it lying superficially to the fascia lata.

How to Perform a Gracilis Flap

The gracilis flap technique is performed under a general anaesthetic in a frog-leg position. It is designed relative to the adductor longus. Harvesting requires the identification of gracilis and its pedicle between the adductor muscles.

Indications for Gracilis Flap

The gracilis muscle or musculocutaneous flap is a workhorse flap. It can be used for functional restoration and wound coverage.

Advantages and Disadvantages

There is no such thing as a "perfect flap". There are benefits and pitfalls to the Gracilis flap.

What happens during the gracilis flap procedure?

A history is obtained with focus on whether any prior trauma or surgery related to the upper thigh has occurred in the past.

What is the muscle used to create a flap?

The gracilis is a commonly used muscle to create a flap for free tissue transfer or flap surgery for reconstruction of small- to medium-sized soft tissue defects in the arms, legs, head and neck. It is a muscular flap, which means only muscle is used. Muscle flaps are commonly used to eradicate infection, fill defects following trauma ...

Why are muscle flaps important?

Muscle flaps provide a soft tissue with a rich blood supply (well-vascularized) that is relatively resistant to infection, helps wounds heal, and offers a vascularized surface to supply blood for potential future skin grafts.

What is flap surgery?

Flap surgery is an operation by which a piece tissue (flap) is lifted from a healthy site in the body and moved to a site of defect while still attached to a blood supply. The gracilis muscle is one of the muscles in the groin.

What is fasciocutaneous flap?

Fascio-cutaneous flaps contain the full thickness of skin, connective tissue, subcutaneous tissue, deep fascia and more blood supply with ability to fill a larger defect. Musculocutaneous or myocutaneous flaps add the muscle layer to a fascio-cutaneous flap. They provide bulk to fill deeper defects and restore function.

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MedicineNet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.

Overview

• It starts at the external point of the ischiopubic ramus (on the pubic bone) and extends down to the upper medial (middle) shaft of the tibia, or shinbone. The gracilis is responsible for hip adduction and assists knee flexion. Adduction means the body part is moved from the outside toward the center of the body. In this case, it is bringing both l...

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Structure

Function

Clinical significance

The gracilis muscle is the most superficial muscle on the medial side of the thigh. It is thin and flattened, broad above, narrow and tapering below.

See also

External links