Muscles of the Leg

quadriceps femoris

a large, fleshy muscle group that occupies the front and sides of the thigh; the primary extensor of the knee; composed of 4 parts - rectus femoris, vastus laterialis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedialis; these parts connect the ilium and femur to the patellar tendon

sartorius

an elongated, straplike muscle that passes obliquely across the front of the thigh and then descends over the medial side of the knee; it connects the ilium to the tibia and flexes the leg and the thigh

semitendinosus

another hamstring muscle; it's a long, bandlike muscle on the back of the thigh toward the medial side, connecting the ischium to the proximal end of the tibia; it flexes and rotates the leg medially and extends the thigh

biceps femoris

has 2 heads, one attached to the ischium and the other attached to the femur; it passes along the back of the thigh on the lateral side and connects to the proximal ends of the fibula and tibia; one of the hamstring muscles; flexes and rotates the leg laterally and extends the thigh

semimembranosus

the third hamstring muscle; the most medially located muscle in the back of the thigh; connects the ischium to the tibia and flexes and rotates the leg medially and extends the thigh