Pes anserinus ("

goose A goose ( : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera ''Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and '' Branta'' (the black geese). Some other birds, mostly related to the ...

foot") refers to the conjoined tendons of three

muscles Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of musc ...

of the

thigh In human anatomy, the thigh is the area between the hip ( pelvis) and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb. The single bone in the thigh is called the femur. This bone is very thick and strong (due to the high proportion of ...

. It inserts onto the anteromedial (front and inside) surface of the proximal tibia. The muscles are the sartorius, gracilis and

semitendinosus The semitendinosus () is a long superficial muscle in the back of the thigh. It is so named because it has a very long tendon of insertion. It lies posteromedially in the thigh, superficial to the semimembranosus. Structure The semitendinosus, r ...

sometimes referred to as the

guy ropes A guy-wire, guy-line, guy-rope, or stay, also called simply a guy, is a tensioned cable designed to add stability to a free-standing structure. They are used commonly for ship masts, radio masts, wind turbines, utility poles, and tents. A thi ...

. The name "goose foot" arises from the three-pronged manner in which the conjoined tendon inserts onto the tibia.

Structure

The three tendons, from front to back, that conjoin to form the pes anserinus come from the sartorius muscle, the

gracilis muscle The gracilis muscle (; 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. Structure It arises by a thin aponeurosis from the anterior margins o ...

, and the

semitendinosus muscle The semitendinosus () is a long superficial muscle in the back of the thigh. It is so named because it has a very long tendon of insertion. It lies posteromedially in the thigh, superficial to the semimembranosus. Structure The semitendinosus, r ...

. It inserts onto the proximal anteromedial surface of the

tibia The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...

. The pes anserinus is around 5 cm below the medial tibial joint line. It lies superficial to the tibial insertion of the

medial collateral ligament The medial collateral ligament (MCL), or tibial collateral ligament (TCL), is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial (inner) side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. Its primary function is to resist out ...

of the knee.

Clinical significance

Pes anserinus tendinitis/bursitis syndrome, or

pes anserine bursitis Pes anserine bursitis is an inflammatory condition of the medial (inner) knee at the anserine bursa, a sub muscular bursa, just below the pes anserinus. Pathology The pes anserinus is where the tendons of the sartorius, gracilis, and semiten ...

, is a cause of chronic knee pain and weakness. - "Pes anserinus bursitis" It occurs when the medial portion of the knee is

inflamed Inflammation (from la, inflammatio) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants, and is a protective response involving immune cells, blood vessels, and molecu ...

. If the

bursa ( grc-gre, Προῦσα, Proûsa, Latin: Prusa, ota, بورسه, Arabic:بورصة) is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the ...

underlying the tendons of the sartorius, gracilis, and

gets irritated from overuse or injury, a person can develop this ailment. This condition usually occurs in athletes from overuse. This pathology is characterized by pain, swelling, and / or tenderness. The semitendinosus tendon can be used in certain techniques for reconstruction of the

anterior cruciate ligament The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are also called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation ...

History

The name "goose foot" arises from the three-pronged manner in which the conjoined tendon inserts onto the tibia.

Structure

Clinical significance

History

Additional Images

References

External links