Muscles Of The Hip

Front 1

What does the Rectus Femoris do?

Back 1

- only quad to cross hip
-only muscle at hip with one pure action (in one plane)
-next to illipsoas, most powerful hip flexor (overuse of it will limit psoas ROM)
-action limited to lower flexion (tabletop or slightly higher)
active in walking, because it is a 2 joint muscle
-to stretch- hip extended, knee flexor

Front 2

What makes up the ilpsoas complex (3)? What does the Iliopsoas do?

Back 2

- iliacus, psoas major and minor
-flexion, adduction, outward rotation, (+lumbar flexion and hyperextension)
-only hip muscle to have action on spine
-most commonly responsible for anterior snapping of hip (tendon snaps across rim of pelvis or head of femur
-most powerful, effective hip flexor
-for higher extension

Front 3

What does the Sartoris do?

Back 3

-hipe flexion, outward rotation, abduction (+ knee flexion, knee inward rotation)
-longest muscle in body
-front attitude muscle
-assists with iliopsas for leg extensions

Front 4

What are the (6) minor hip flexors? (small ranges of hip flexion)

Back 4

-pectineus
-gracilus
-adductor group
-tensor fasca latae
-gluteus medius (anterior fibers)
-gluteus minimus

Front 5

What does the biceps femoris do?

Back 5

- hip extension, outward rotation, abduction

Front 6

What do the semis do?

Back 6

hip extension, inward rotation, adduction

Front 7

What are some common probems in the hamstrings?

Back 7

constant contractions of hamis=tightness, decreased ROM in hip flexion ("extension")

common imbalance-tight biceps and weak/flexible semis b/c of work in turnout

Front 8

What does the Gluteus Maxiums do?

Back 8

-hip extension and outward rotation

upper fibers: abduction
lower fibers: adduction

general tendency to overuse b/c of improper instruction to "squeeze"

Front 9

What are the (3) minor hip extensors?

Back 9

- posterior fibers of gluteus medius
-poseterior fibers of gluteus minimus
-posterior fibers of adductor magnus

Front 10

What are the Hip Abductors?

Back 10

gluteus medius, tensor fascia latae, IT Band, gluteus minimus

Front 11

What is the Gluteus medius?

Back 11

-stabilizes standing leg
can contribute to anterior snapping of hip

Front 12

What is the Tensor Fascia Latae?

Back 12

-not the same as IT Band- inserts in IT band
-hip abduction, inward rotation, hip flexion

Front 13

What is the IT Band?

Back 13

-insertion for Gluteus Masimis, TFL, Gluteus Medius
-assists gluteus medius in stabilizing hip join in standing and walking
-laterally stabilizes knee
-tends to become tight, lateral snapping of hip
cause of tightness-overuse and lack of stretching

Front 14

What is the Gluteus Minimus?

Back 14

-assists gluteus medius with abduction
-assists TFL with inward rotation, flexion, abduction

Front 15

What are the minor hip abductors?

Back 15

-sartorius
-biceps femoris
-upper fibers of gluteus maximus
-upper 3 outward rotators

Front 16

What are the (3) major hip adductors?

Back 16

-adductor longus, brevis, magnus

in turn out, play a major role in dance

Front 17

What are the (7) minor hip adductors?

Back 17

-pectineus
-gracilis
-iliopsoas
-semitendonosis
-semimembranosis
-3 inferior outward rotators
-inferior fibers of gluteus maximus

Front 18

What are the inward hip rotators?

Back 18

-no major ones
-minor action of semis, TFL, anterior gluteal medius, gluteus minimus

Front 19

What are the (4) major hip outward rotators?

Back 19

-6 deep outward rotators
-psoas
-adductors (in lower leg work)
-gluteus maximus (dancers should minimize use of this

Front 20

What are the 6 deep outward rotators?

Back 20

upper 3: abduct and outward rotation
lower 3, adduct and outward rotation

-support pelvis

Front 21

How do you solve the tendency to abduct on posterior legwork?

Back 21

disengage and release:
-upper fibers of gluteus maximus
-biceps femoris
-upper 3 deep outward rotators
-posterior fibers of gluteus medius

engage and activate:
-lower fibers of gluteus maximus
-lower 3 deep outward rotators
-posterior fibers of adductor magnus

Front 22

What is "sitting" in the hip, and how do you correct it?

Back 22

-adduction, light flexion, inward rotation on standing leg

-engage abductors, extensors, outward rotators (antigravity muscles at hip)

Front 23

If dancers use abductors so much as stabilizers, why are abductors characteristically weak?

Back 23

-static contraction
-low grade contraction (few motor units)
-muscle becomes tight, but not strong
-don't tend to stretch them

Front 24

What could "low extension" be caused by? How can we correct it?

Back 24

cause:
tight hamis
weak or disengaged psoas
overuse of rectus femoris
tight hip flexors overall

correct:
stretch hamis
strengthen psoas
imagery to soften rectus femoris
stretch hip flexors

Front 25

How can we save knees during grand plie and deep knee work?

Back 25

-avoid sitting in knees- engage hamis through up and down
-engage adductors through up phases
-engage core through full plie

Front 26

List the muscle system that is essential for dancers in hip flexion that goes beyond 90 degrees (i.e., in high "extension"). Why?

Back 26

The illiopsoas system (specifically, the psoas). Because it is the only hip flexor muscle that originates high enough in the body to be engineered for lifting the leg that high, and is deep enough for the type of leverage that is needed.

Front 27

In the hamstrings group, which muscle(s) tend to be the weakest and most flexible in dancers? Which tend to be the tightest? Why?

Back 27

The semimembranosis and tendinosis tend to be weak and flexible, whereas the biceps femoris tends to be tight. This is because we stretch the semi's but we don't use them much in outward rotation since they are inward rotators. We use the biceps femoris alot when doing posterior leg-work, but we don't often isolate it to stretch it out, so it becomes tight.

Front 28

List two muscles that abduct the hip and two muscles that extend the hip.

Back 28

Abductors: Gluteus medius, minimus; tensor fascia lata; 3 superior deep outward rotators; biceps femoris; upper fibers of gluteus maximus
Extensors: Gluteus maximus; biceps femoris; semitendinosis; semimembranosis; posterior fibers of adductor magnus

Front 29

If the 6 deep outward rotator muscles are so small, why are they so important as outward rotators, particularly in maintaining outward rotation?

Back 29

Because they are so close to the joint itself, and close to the bone, making them extremely effective for holding outward rotation and stabilizing the hip joint in outward rotation (particularly when the femur is fixed). They are some of the deepest muscles in the body, playing a significant stabilizing role at the hip in outward rotation. (deep muscles tend to be stabilizers, whereas superficial muscles tend to be movers).