Name two muscles that receive primary innervation from the femoral nerve and contribute to hip flexion.

Name two muscles that receive primary innervation from the femoral nerve and contribute to hip flexion.

• A. Psoas Major and Sartorius
• B. Tensor fasciae latae and Gluteus medius
• C. Iliacus and Rectus Femoris
• D. Adductor longus and Gracilis

Answer: (C)

Hip flexion is produced mainly by muscles in the anterior thigh that receive innervation from the femoral nerve. The two that best fit this criterion are the iliacus and the rectus femoris. Iliacus lies in the iliac fossa and forms the iliopsoas with psoas major; it is a primary hip flexor, and its motor supply comes from the femoral nerve. Rectus femoris travels across both the hip and knee joints, originates from the AIIS, and, via the femoral nerve, contributes to hip flexion as part of the quadriceps group, while also extending the knee. Other options don’t fit as well because they’re either innervated by other nerves or are not primary hip flexors: tensor fasciae latae and gluteus medius are innervated by the superior gluteal nerve and mainly abduct the hip; adductor longus and gracilis are innervated by the obturator nerve and primarily adduct the hip; psoas major is not primarily innervated by the femoral nerve.

Hip flexion is produced mainly by muscles in the anterior thigh that receive innervation from the femoral nerve. The two that best fit this criterion are the iliacus and the rectus femoris. Iliacus lies in the iliac fossa and forms the iliopsoas with psoas major; it is a primary hip flexor, and its motor supply comes from the femoral nerve. Rectus femoris travels across both the hip and knee joints, originates from the AIIS, and, via the femoral nerve, contributes to hip flexion as part of the quadriceps group, while also extending the knee.

Other options don’t fit as well because they’re either innervated by other nerves or are not primary hip flexors: tensor fasciae latae and gluteus medius are innervated by the superior gluteal nerve and mainly abduct the hip; adductor longus and gracilis are innervated by the obturator nerve and primarily adduct the hip; psoas major is not primarily innervated by the femoral nerve.