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Anatomy · Anatomical structures

Gracilis muscle

m. gracilis

Gracilis muscle (m. gracilis) is a muscle of the medial compartment of the thigh, located most medially. It originates from the inferior ramus of the pubis and the pubic symphysis, and inserts onto the medial surface of the tibia, where it contributes to the formation of the superficial pes anserinus. The muscle adductor the thigh, flexes and medially rotates the leg.

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GroupMedial compartment of the thigh muscles
InsertionSuperficial pes anserinus
InnervationObturator nerve (L2–L4)
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 inferior ramus of the pubis and the region of the pubic symphysis.
  • Insertion (I): muscle fibers descend and transition into a tendon that attaches to the medial surface of the tibia.
  • Features: at the site of insertion, the tendon of the gracilis muscle merges with the tendons of the sartorius (m. sartorius) and semitendinosus (m. semitendinosus) muscles. Together they form the anatomical structure known as the superficial pes anserinus (pes anserinus).

Functions

  • Thigh movements: the muscle performs adduction of the thigh.
  • Leg movements: upon contraction, it flexes the leg at the knee joint and also medially rotates the flexed leg.
  • Stabilization: as part of the pes anserinus tendinous complex, the muscle stabilizes the medial side of the knee joint.
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Blood supply and innervation

  • Innervation: supplied by the anterior branch of the obturator nerve — n. obturatorius (L2–L3). The obturator nerve also gives off a cutaneous branch (r. cutaneus n. obturatorii) to the medial surface of the thigh.
  • Blood supply: the muscle receives blood from several arterial sources:
  • External pudendal artery (a. pudenda externa).
  • Obturator artery (a. obturatoria).
  • Deep artery of the thigh (a. profunda femoris).

Topography and fascial compartments

  • The gracilis muscle belongs to the medial compartment of the thigh muscles, which also includes the adductor longus and adductor magnus muscles (m. adductor longus and m. adductor magnus).
  • It is located most medially among the thigh muscles.
  • Fascia lata (fascia lata), surrounding all muscles of this region, forms a separate isolated fascial sheath for m. gracilis.
  • On a cross-section of the upper third of the thigh, the muscle belongs to the medial muscle group. It is also listed among the anatomical structures of the anterior thigh region and the femoral triangle.

Clinical and surgical significance

  • Surgical landmark: the prominence of the gracilis and adductor longus muscles on the inner surface of the thigh is used in operative surgery.
  • Buyalski–McWhorter approach: used for pelvic organ surgery. The patient is placed in the supine position with legs abducted and flexed at the knees ("frog posture"). An 8–9 cm incision is made over the prominence of m. gracilis and m. adductor longus, 3–4 cm away from the femoroperineal fold. Next, the adductor brevis muscle is transected, and the obturator externus muscle is exposed and dissected along the inferior ramus of the pubic bone, allowing access to the perivesical tissue.

Class and exam questions

Which muscles form the superficial pes anserinus?

The formation of the pes anserinus on the medial surface of the tibia involves the tendons of three muscles: gracilis (m. gracilis), sartorius (m. sartorius), and semitendinosus (m. semitendinosus).

Which nerve is responsible for the innervation of the gracilis muscle?

The gracilis muscle is innervated by the anterior branch of the obturator nerve (n. obturatorius), the fibers of which originate from the spinal cord segments L2–L3.

What function does the gracilis muscle perform regarding the knee joint?

In addition to flexion and internal rotation of the leg, the gracilis muscle as part of the pes anserinus stabilizes the medial side of the knee joint.

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What else to study on this topic

  • Sartorius muscle (m. sartorius)
  • Semitendinosus muscle (m. semitendinosus)
  • Obturator nerve (n. obturatorius)
  • Fascia lata of the thigh (fascia lata)

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