Adductor minimus muscle
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Dias S, Bell D, Murphy A, et al. Adductor minimus muscle. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 26 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-63761
rID:
63761
Article created:
18 Oct 2018,
Shanalie Dias
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Shanalie Dias had no recorded disclosures.
View Shanalie Dias's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Daniel J Bell had no recorded disclosures.
View Daniel J Bell's current disclosures
Revisions:
5 times, by
5 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- Adductor minimus musclea
- Adductor quartus muscles
- Pars lateralis
- Caput superius externum
- Premier faisceau du grand adducteur
- Adductor quartus muscle
The adductor minimus muscle is a small, variably present muscle in the medial compartment of the thigh.
On this page:
Terminology
Due to confusion about this muscle over the years it has ended up with a variety of names, which include pars lateralis, adductor quartus muscle, premier faisceau du grand adducteur and caput superius externum 1.
Summary
- origin: ischiopubic ramus
- insertion: medial lip of linea aspera, adductor tubercle
- action: adducts, extends and laterally rotates thigh at hip joint
- arterial supply: medial femoral circumflex artery, first perforating branch of profunda femoris
- innervation: obturator nerve (part inserting on linea aspera), tibial division of sciatic nerve (part inserting on adductor tubercle)
Gross anatomy
The adductor minimus is considered to be the superior most division of adductor magnus muscle and is variable in its anatomy, being either completely separate, partially or completely fused to the upper border of adductor magnus 1. The first perforating branch of the profunda femoris artery delineates the inferior border of adductor minimus from the superior border of adductor magnus.
References
- 1. Tubbs RS, Griessenauer CJ, Marshall T, Dennison CP, Shoja MM, Loukas M, Apaydin N, Cohen-Gadol AA. The adductor minimus muscle revisited. (2011) Surgical and radiologic anatomy : SRA. 33 (5): 429-32. doi:10.1007/s00276-010-0741-2 - Pubmed
- 2. Werner Platzer. Color Atlas of Human Anatomy. (2014) ISBN: 9783131494870
- 3. Benn ML, Pizzari T, Rath L, Tucker K, Semciw AI. Adductor magnus: An EMG investigation into proximal and distal portions and direction specific action. (2018) Clinical anatomy (New York, N.Y.). 31 (4): 535-543. doi:10.1002/ca.23068 - Pubmed
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