Adductor longus muscle

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Adductor longus muscle
Anterior Hip Muscles 2.PNG
The adductor longus and nearby muscles
Structures surrounding right hip-joint. (Adductor longus at upper right.)
Latin Musculus adductor longus
pubic body just below the pubic crest
middle third of linea aspera
deep femoral artery
anterior branch of obturator nerve
Actions adduction of hip, flexion of hip joint
Gray's p.472
TA A04.7.02.026
FMA FMA:22441
Anatomical terms of muscle

In the human body, the adductor longus is a skeletal muscle located in the thigh. One of the adductor muscles of the hip, its main function is to adduct the thigh and it is innervated by the obturator nerve. It forms the medial wall of the femoral triangle.

Origin and insertion[edit]

The adductor longus arises from the superior ramus of the pubis. [1]

It lies ventrally on the adductor magnus, and near the femur, the adductor brevis is interposed between these two muscles. Distally, the fibers of the adductor longus extend into the adductor canal.[1]

It is inserted into the middle third of the medial lip of the linea aspera.[1]


The adductor longus is in relation by its anterior surface with the pubic portion of the fascia lata, and near its insertion with the femoral artery and vein.

By its posterior surface with the adductor brevis and magnus, the anterior branches of the obturator artery, vein, and nerves, and near its insertion with the profunda artery and vein.

By its outer border with the pectineus, and by the inner border with the gracilis.



Its main actions is to adduct and medially rotate the thigh; it can also produce some degree of flexion/anteversion.[1]


As part of the medial compartment of the thigh, the adductor longus is innervated by the anterior division (sometimes the posterior division) of the obturator nerve.[1] The obturator nerve exits via the anterior rami of the spinal cord from L2, L3, and L4.[3][not in citation given]


Adductor longus is derived from the myotome of spinal roots L2, L3, and L4.[4]


  1. ^ a b c d e Platzer, Werner (2004). Color Atlas of Human Anatomy, Vol. 1, Locomotor System (5th ed.). Thieme. p. 242. 
  2. ^ Wilson, Erasmus (1851). The anatomist's vade mecum: a system of human anatomy. p. 260. 
  3. ^ Saladin, Kenneth S. Anatomy & Physiology: The Unity of Form and Function. 5th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2009.
  4. ^ Aatif M. Husain (2008). A practical approach to neurophysiologic intraoperative monitoring. Demos Medical Publishing. p. 23. 

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