Vastus medialis muscle
Last revised by William Howden
on 24 Mar 2023
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
b a, Howden W, Najjar R, et al. Vastus medialis muscle. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 21 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-44284
rID:
44284
Article created:
15 Apr 2016,
a b
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created a b had no recorded disclosures.
View a b's current disclosures
Last revised:
24 Mar 2023,
William Howden
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised William Howden had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View William Howden's current disclosures
Revisions:
11 times, by
8 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- Vastus medialis longus (VML)
- Vastus medialis oblique (VMO)
- Vastus medialis obliquus (VMO)
The vastus medialis muscle is one of the four quadriceps muscles in the anterior compartment of the thigh. The others are the rectus femoris, the vastus intermedius, and the vastus lateralis.
Summary
-
origin
-
medial part of intertrochanteric line
pectineal line
medial lip of the linea aspera
medial supracondylar line
tendons of adductor longus and magnus
medial intermuscular septum
-
-
insertion
medial border of patella
action: extends the leg at the knee joint. Stabilizes patella medially.
arterial supply: femoral, deep femoral and superior medial genicular arteries
innervation: femoral nerve (L2 - L4)
Gross anatomy
Vastus medialis is described as having two components based on the origin/insertion and orientation of the muscle fibers 4,5:
vastus medialis longus (VML)
-
vastus medialis obliquus (VMO)
fibers originate from the adductor tubercle and intermusclar septum to insert on the proximal third of the medial patella
acts as a medial patellar stabilizer
Quiz questions
References
- 1. FAAA RDP, FAAA AWVP, FRCR AWMMMBBSFRCS. Gray's Anatomy for Students: With STUDENT CONSULT Online Access, 3e. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:0702051314. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. FAAA KLMPFIACFRSM, (OT) MSc AMRAB, II AFD. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Last's Anatomy. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:0702033944. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 4. Mark D. Miller, Stephen R. Thompson. DeLee and Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. ISBN: 9781437721713
- 5. Frank G. Shellock, Christopher Powers. Kinematic MRI of the Joints. ISBN: 9781420041750
- 6. Susan Standring. Gray's Anatomy. (2020) ISBN: 9780702077050 - Google Books
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Medial patellar retinaculum
- Vastus intermedius muscle
- Sartorius muscle
- Quadriceps muscles
- Patella
- Medial patellofemoral ligament
- Intertrochanteric line
- Adductor canal
- Adductor longus muscle
- Anterior compartment of the thigh
- Descending genicular artery
- Profunda femoris artery
- Muscles of the lower limb
- Linea aspera
- Chondromalacia patellae
- Quadriceps tendon
- Prepatellar quadriceps continuation
- Rectus femoris muscle
- Perivascular adductor longus muscle injury
- Adductor canal syndrome
Cases:
- Vastus medialis partial tear
- Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma
- Intramuscular haemangioma - paediatric
- Myxofibrosarcoma - soft tissue
- Patellar dislocation with chondral injury
- Medial patellofemoral ligament avulsion injury
- Osteochondroma - distal femur
- Intramuscular haemangioma
- MRI knee - axial (anatomy quiz)
- Diabetic myonecrosis
Multiple choice questions:
Related articles: Anatomy: Lower limb
- skeleton of the lower limb
- joints of the lower limb
-
hip joint
- ligaments
- muscles
- additional structures
- hip joint capsule
- zona orbicularis
- iliotibial band
-
hip bursae
- anterior
- iliopsoas bursa (iliopectineal bursa)
- lateral
- subgluteal bursae
- greater trochanteric bursa (subgluteus maximus bursa)
- subgluteus medius bursa
- subgluteus minimus bursa
- gluteofemoral bursa
- subgluteal bursae
- postero-inferior
- anterior
- ossification centers
-
knee joint
- ligaments
- anterior cruciate ligament
- posterior cruciate ligament
- medial collateral ligament
- lateral collateral ligament
- meniscofemoral ligament (mnemonic)
-
posterolateral ligamentous complex
- arcuate ligament
- patellar tendon and quadriceps tendon
- anterolateral ligament
- posterior oblique ligament
- oblique popliteal ligament
- medial patellofemoral ligament
- additional structures
- extensor mechanism of the knee
- groove for the popliteus tendon
- knee bursae
- anterior bursae
- medial bursae
- lateral bursae
- posterior bursae
- knee capsule
- lateral patellar retinaculum
- medial patellar retinaculum
- menisci
- pes anserinus (mnemonic)
- ossification centers
- ligaments
- tibiofibular joints
-
ankle joint
- regional anatomy
- medial ankle
- lateral ankle
- anterior ankle
- ligaments
- medial collateral (deltoid) ligament
- lateral collateral ligament
- additional structures
- ankle bursae
- ossification centers of the ankle
- variants
- regional anatomy
- foot joints
- subtalar joint
- mid-tarsal (Chopart) joint
-
tarsometatarsal (Lisfranc) joint
- ligaments
- intermetatarsal joint
- metatarsophalangeal joint
- interphalangeal joint
- ossification centers
-
hip joint
- spaces of the lower limb
-
muscles of the lower limb
- muscles of the pelvic group
- muscles of the thigh
- muscles of the leg
- anterior compartment of the leg
- posterior compartments of the leg
- lateral compartment of the leg
- muscles of the foot
- dorsal muscles
- plantar muscles
- 1st layer
- 2nd layer
- 3rd layer
- 4th layer
- accessory muscles of the lower limb
- accessory gluteal muscles
-
accessory muscles of the ankle
- accessory peroneal muscles
- accessory flexor digitorum longus muscle
- accessory soleus muscle
- peroneocalcaneus internus muscle
- tibiocalcaneus internus muscle
- extensor hallucis capsularis tendon
- anterior fibulocalcaneus muscle
- accessory extensor digiti secundus muscle
- tibioastragalus anticus of Gruber muscle
- vascular supply of the lower limb
- arterial supply of the lower limb
- venous drainage of the lower limb
- innervation of the lower limb
- lymphatic system of the lower limb
- lymphatic pathways
- anteromedial group
- anterolateral group
- posteromedial group
- posterolateral group
- lower limb lymph nodes
- lymphatic pathways
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