Thigh

Thigh

The thigh is the area located between the pelvis and the knee in the human body. It is part of the lower limb, upper leg or the hind limb. The thigh is made up of a single bone, the femur, which is the longest and strongest bone in the body.

Anatomy

The thigh is divided into three compartments: anterior, medial, and posterior.

Anterior compartment

The anterior compartment is also known as the extensor compartment. It is separated from the other compartments by the fascia lata, a tough layer of connective tissue, and the intermuscular septa, which are extensions of the fascia lata. The muscles in this compartment include the quadriceps femoris and the sartorius.

Medial compartment

The medial compartment, also known as the adductor compartment, contains the adductor muscles of the hip. These muscles are primarily responsible for adduction of the thigh, as their name suggests. They include the adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, gracilis, and obturator externus.

Posterior compartment

The posterior compartment, also known as the flexor compartment, contains the hamstring muscles, which are responsible for flexing the knee and extending the hip. These muscles include the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus.

Clinical significance

The thigh can be affected by a number of pathologies including cellulitis, abscess, thrombophlebitis, deep vein thrombosis, and fractures of the femur. It is also the site of intramuscular injections such as the vastus lateralis muscle.

See also

• Leg
• Hip
• Knee
• Femur
• Muscles of the hip
• Muscles of the lower limb

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Thigh

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  Thigh

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  Anatomical illustration of the thigh

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  Common femoral and subsartorial artery and vein

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  Thigh gap

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  Detailed anatomy of the thigh