Quadratus Femoris Muscle

Authors

Affiliations

Nathaniel Yomogida, B.S., SPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.S. in Kinesiology

Chloë Kerstein, B.S., SPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.A. in Neuroscience

Overview

Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Innervation	Action
Quadratus femoris	Lateral border of Ischial tuberosity	Intertrochanteric crest	Nerve to Quadratus femoris L5 - S1	Hip: ER

Origin

Lateral border of the ischial tuberosity¹

Insertion

Intertrochanteric crest of the femur¹

Innervation

Sacral plexus Direct Branches (L5, S1)¹

Action

Hip: External rotation¹

Palpation

1. Position the patient in prone².
2. locate:².
   1. Posterior aspect of Greater trochanter².
   2. Ischial tuberosity².
3. Bisect these two landmarks and place your fingerpads here².
4. Press firmly through the more superficial Gluteus maximus muscle belly².
5. Strum vertically over the QF muscle belly².

Passive tension

You can passively tense and slack the quadratus femoris by flexing the knee to 90° then moving between internal rotation (tension) to external rotation (slack), which should cause the quadratus femoris to palpably increase in tension².

References

1.

Gilroy AM, MacPherson BR, Wikenheiser JC, Voll MM, Wesker K, Schünke M, eds. Atlas of Anatomy. 4th ed. Thieme; 2020.

2.

Biel A. Trail Guide to the Body: A Hands-on Guide to Locating Muscles, Bones, and More. 6th ed. Books of Discovery; 2019.