Gracilis

Musculus gracilis

Lower Body Lower BodyLegsAdductorsHamstrings

The gracilis is the most superficial and only two-joint muscle of the adductor group, crossing both the hip and knee to adduct and flex the hip while assisting knee flexion and internal rotation. As a thin strap muscle it contributes less raw adduction force than the magnus but plays an important role in medial knee stability during cutting and pivoting. It is frequently harvested for ACL and other reconstructions thanks to its long tendon and reliable blood supply.

Actions

Hip adduction, Hip flexion, Knee flexion, Knee medial (internal) rotation

Origin

Anterior margins of the lower half of the pubic symphysis and the upper half of the pubic arch (inferior pubic ramus)

Insertion

Upper medial surface of the tibia at the pes anserinus, with the sartorius and semitendinosus

Innervation

Anterior branch of the obturator nerve (L2-L3)

Blood supply

Medial circumflex femoral artery

Wikipedia ↗

adductorslegslower-bodytwo-jointknee