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Vastus lateralis
Other Terms:
Quadriceps femoris,
Musculus vastus lateralis,
Muscle vaste latéral
Muscle parts
None
Latin name
Musculus quadriceps femoris – Musculus vastus lateralis
Latin muscle parts
None
Group
Thigh muscle – anterior compartment
Etymology
The English name for this muscle is the enormous muscle on the side. Vastus is the Latin word for “enormous.”The Latin term lateralis is derived from the Latin lata meaning “side.”
Origin
Proximal portion of intertrochanteric line, anterior and inferior margins of the greater trochanter, lateral side of gluteal tuberosity and laterally on the linea aspera in its proximal half; fibers also arise from the lateral intermuscular septum
Insertion
Tibial tuberosity (the patella is a sesamoid bone within the quadriceps tendon, the combined tendon of the rectus and vasti muscles; proximal to the patella the tendon is named the quadriceps tendon, distal to the patella the tendon is called the patellar ligament)
Action
Extension of the knee.
Nerve supply
Femoral nerve (L2, L3,and L4)
Blood supply
From proximal to distal, the muscle is supplied by the ascending, transverse, and descending branches of the lateral circumflex femoral artery, the perforating branches of the deep femoral artery, and the superior genicular branch of the popliteal artery.
Latin
Musculus vastus lateralis
French
Muscle vaste latéral