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Anatomy · Anatomical structures

Pectineus muscle

m. pectineus

Pectineus muscle (m. pectineus) — is involved in adduction and flexion of the thigh. It contributes to the formation of the floor of the femoral triangle.

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FunctionAdducts, flexes, and weakly lateral rotates (supinates) the thigh
OriginPecten of the pubis (pectineal line of the pubic bone)
Blood supplyObturator artery, deep femoral artery, and femoral artery
InnervationMost commonly dual: femoral and obturator nerves
2 min readFor medical studentsUpdated 09/24/2026
Material prepared by WhiteCoat Pro editorial team based on platform study guidesReviewed by medical editor: Aulov A. A., general practitioner · 09/24/2026

Origin and insertion?

  • Origin (O): originates from the pubic crest, also known as the pectineal line of the pubic bone (pecten ossis pubis).
  • Insertion (I): the muscle inserts into the pectineal line of the femur (linea pectinea). This line is located on the posterior surface of the thigh and extends from the lesser trochanter (trochanter minor) to the linea aspera (linea aspera).

What is its function?

  • Adduction: performs adduction of the thigh.
  • Flexion: participates in flexion of the thigh.
  • Lateral rotation (Supination): weakly lateral rotates the thigh.
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Blood supply and innervation

  • Blood supply: provided by the obturator artery (a. obturatoria), deep femoral artery (a. profunda femoris), and femoral artery (a. femoralis).
  • Innervation: characterized by variability. Most commonly, the muscle has dual innervation, receiving branches from the femoral nerve (n. femoralis) and obturator nerve (n. obturatorius).

Topography and adjacent structures

  • Floor of the femoral triangle: m. pectineus participates in forming the floor of the femoral triangle. It is located medially, while the iliopsoas muscle lies laterally to it (m. iliopsoas). Together they form the iliopectineal fossa (fossa iliopectinea), which is situated beneath the deep layer of fascia.
  • Relationship with vessels: within the femoral triangle, the femoral artery (a. femoralis) lies on the pectineus muscle as well as on the adductor longus muscle. Anteriorly, the artery is covered by fascia and the sartorius muscle.
  • Deep layer: deeper to the pectineus muscle lie the adductor brevis muscle (m. adductor brevis) and the obturator externus muscle (m. obturatorius externus).
  • Vascular clefts: the deep branch of the medial femoral circumflex artery (r. profundus a. circumflexae femoris medialis) penetrates the cleft between m. pectineus and m. obturatorius externus, and then divides into ascending and descending branches.
  • Obturator canal: the pectineus muscle covers the outer opening of the obturator canal (canalis obturatorius), located at the upper margin of the obturator externus muscle. During surgical approach to the canal, the pectineus muscle must be incised.

Clinical significance

  • Muscle strength assessment: in neurological practice, the strength of the pectineus muscle, along with the iliopsoas, sartorius, and quadriceps muscles, is graded using the MRC (Medical Research Council) scale. This is necessary to detect paresis in mononeuropathies (Level of Evidence C, Grade of Recommendation 5).
  • Pathways of infection spread: during the formation of purulent collections from the anterior "weak spot" of the hip joint, located between the lig. iliofemorale and lig. pubofemorale, a medial pathway of pus spread is possible. Pus spreads from beneath the inner margin of m. iliopsoas between the pubic bone and the pectineus muscle into the medial fascial compartment of the thigh.

Class and exam questions

Which nerves provide innervation to the pectineus muscle?

Muscle innervation is variable and most commonly dual: it is supplied by branches of the femoral (n. femoralis) and obturator (n. obturatorius) nerves.

What topographic structure's formation does m. pectineus participate in?

Together with the iliopsoas muscle, it forms the iliopectineal fossa (fossa iliopectinea), which serves as the floor of the femoral triangle.

What is the muscle's relationship to the obturator canal?

The pectineus muscle covers the outer opening of the obturator canal (canalis obturatorius), located at the upper margin of the obturator externus muscle. For surgical access to the canal, the muscle must be incised.

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What else to study on this topic

  • Femoral triangle and iliopectineal fossa
  • Obturator canal (canalis obturatorius)
  • Femoral artery (a. femoralis)
  • Medial femoral circumflex artery

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