What Does Rectus Femoris Mean?
- Rectus means straight
- Femoris refers to the femur
- Rectus femoris is one of four muscles that make up the quadriceps group.
- The four heads of the quadriceps group are the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and rectus femoris.
Where Does the Rectus Femoris Attach?
- This muscle attaches above (proximally) on the AIIS (Anterior Inferior Iliac Spine) of the pelvis. This is the small bump BELOW the bump that we call our “hip point.”
- This muscle attaches below (distally) to the bump on the front of the tibia (tibial tuberosity) through its attachment on the knee cap (patella).
What Are the Actions of the Rectus Femoris?
- It assists in flexion (folding forward) of the hip joint.
- It assists in extension (straightening) of the knee joint.
- Rectus femoris can also pull the front of the pelvis down and forward (anterior tilt).
- It can pull the pelvis down in the front and create compression in the lower back, especially in a backbend.
Postures Where the Rectus Femoris Muscle Contracts
utkatasana (chair pose)
warrior 1 pose
utthita hasta padangusthasana
Postures Where the Rectus Femoris Muscle is Lengthened
natarajasana (dancer pose)
pigeon pose
supta virasana
Rectus Femoris Injury
Rectus femoris strain/tear
- It is commonly caused by forceful movement when the muscle is in a contracted position.
- Strains can occur when kicking a ball and the knee is in some way restricted.
- Strains are common in soccer players and also occur in football and other sports where kicking or sudden jumping is required.
Symptoms include:
- Pain towards the top, front of the thigh
- Swelling and bruising
- Restricted range of motion depending on the extent of the tear
Rehabilitation of minor tears follows the RICE method, then gentle movement and stretching once swelling has been reduced. Serious tears (those verging on a complete tear) require surgery to repair. There have also been updates to the protocol and relevance of use.
Trigger Points
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This website is simply about delivering yoga anatomy to the yoga community in a simple and understandable way. It has always been about you, the reader, understanding the complexity and diversity of our own humanness as well as our anatomy.
Comments 2
Hi David, I am loving your book! I went to look for your take on setting up virasana and you don’t cover that. So I thought I’d ask here. I have heard both to set up with knees together and knees apart and was hoping that you might shed some light on why you might do either of those and which is the more optimal way based on the anatomy of the knee and hip.
Thank you SO much!!!, Beth
Author
Hi Beth,
I don’t cover Virasana specifically, but I very clearly point out knees together and apart starting on page 370. It’s part of the whole backbending story. But specifically for what I think you’re referring to might also be related to the thigh more internally or externally rotated? This also changes the angle that force runs through the rectus femoris. Check the book and see if that part helps.
David