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The adductor brevis is a muscle in the thigh situated immediately deep to the
pectineus The pectineus muscle (, from the Latin word ''pecten'', meaning comb) is a flat, quadrangular muscle, situated at the anterior (front) part of the upper and medial (inner) aspect of the thigh. The pectineus muscle is the most anterior adductor o ...
and adductor longus. It belongs to the adductor muscle group. The main function of the adductor brevis is to pull the thigh medially. The adductor brevis and the rest of the adductor muscle group is also used to stabilize left to right movements of the
trunk Trunk may refer to: Biology * Trunk (anatomy), synonym for torso * Trunk (botany), a tree's central superstructure * Trunk of corpus callosum, in neuroanatomy * Elephant trunk, the proboscis of an elephant Computing * Trunk (software), in rev ...
, when standing on both feet, or to balance when standing on a moving surface. The adductor muscle group is used pressing the thighs together to ride a horse, and kicking with the inside of the foot in soccer or swimming. Last, they contribute to
flexion Motion, the process of movement, is described using specific anatomical terms. Motion includes movement of organs, joints, limbs, and specific sections of the body. The terminology used describes this motion according to its direction relativ ...
of the thigh when running or against resistance (squats, jumping, etc.).


Structure

It is somewhat triangular in form, and arises by a narrow origin from the outer surfaces of the body of the pubis and inferior ramus of the pubis, between the gracilis and
obturator externus The external obturator muscle, obturator externus muscle (; OE) is a flat, triangular muscle, which covers the outer surface of the anterior wall of the pelvis. It is sometimes considered part of the medial compartment of thigh, and sometimes ...
. The Adductor brevis muscle widens in triangular fashion to be inserted into the upper part of the linea aspera immediately lateral to the insertion of pectineus and above that of adductor longus.


Relations

By its anterior surface, the adductor brevis is in relation with the
pectineus The pectineus muscle (, from the Latin word ''pecten'', meaning comb) is a flat, quadrangular muscle, situated at the anterior (front) part of the upper and medial (inner) aspect of the thigh. The pectineus muscle is the most anterior adductor o ...
, adductor longus, and anterior branches of the
obturator artery The obturator artery is a branch of the internal iliac artery that passes antero-inferiorly (forwards and downwards) on the lateral wall of the pelvis, to the upper part of the obturator foramen, and, escaping from the pelvic cavity through the o ...
, the
obturator vein The obturator vein begins in the upper portion of the adductor region of the thigh and enters the pelvis through the upper part of the obturator foramen, in the obturator canal. It runs backward and upward on the lateral wall of the pelvis below ...
, and the obturator nerve. By its posterior surface with the
adductor magnus Adductor may refer to: * One of the anatomical terms of motion * Adductor muscle (disambiguation) * Adductor canal The adductor canal, also known as the subsartorial canal or Hunter’s canal, is an aponeurotic tunnel in the middle third of the th ...
and the posterior branches of the
obturator artery The obturator artery is a branch of the internal iliac artery that passes antero-inferiorly (forwards and downwards) on the lateral wall of the pelvis, to the upper part of the obturator foramen, and, escaping from the pelvic cavity through the o ...
, the obturator vein, and the obturator nerve. By its outer border with the
obturator externus The external obturator muscle, obturator externus muscle (; OE) is a flat, triangular muscle, which covers the outer surface of the anterior wall of the pelvis. It is sometimes considered part of the medial compartment of thigh, and sometimes ...
, and the
iliopsoas The iliopsoas muscle (; from lat, ile, lit=groin and grc, ψόᾱ, psóā, muscles of the loins) refers to the joined psoas major and the iliacus muscles. The two muscles are separate in the abdomen, but usually merge in the thigh. They are usua ...
. By its inner border with the gracilis and adductor magnus. It is pierced near its insertion by the middle
perforating artery The perforating arteries, usually three in number, are so named because they perforate the tendon of the Adductor magnus to reach the back of the thigh. They pass backward close to the linea aspera of the femur under cover of small tendinous arche ...
.


Innervation

The adductor brevis is innervated dually by the anterior and posterior branches of the obturator nerve.


Function

The muscle is primarily known as a
hip adductor The adductor muscles of the hip are a group of muscles mostly used for bringing the thighs together (called adduction). Structure The adductor group is made up of: *Adductor brevis *Adductor longus *Adductor magnus * Adductor minimus This is o ...
. It also functions as a hip flexor. Whether it acts to rotate the femur laterally or medially is dependent on position.


References


Additional images

Image:Gray433.png, Deep muscles of the medial femoral region.


External links

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PTCentral
{{Authority control Hip adductors Hip flexors Thigh muscles Medial compartment of thigh