Adductor Brevis

The structure indicated is the adductor brevis muscle. The muscle indicated is the adductor brevis muscle of the thigh. The adductor brevis is one of six muscles in the medial compartment of the thigh. The thigh consists of three muscular compartments:

1. Anterior
2. Medial
3. Posterior

The medial compartments consists of the following muscles:

• Gracilis
• Pectineus
• Adductor longus
• Adductor brevis
• Adductor magnus
• Obturator externus

All the muscles of the medial compartment are innervated by the obturator nerve except for the pectineus (femoral nerve) and the hamstring part of the adductor magnus (tibial division of sciatic). The muscles of the medial compartment generally serve to adduct the thigh at the hip joint. There are three “adductor” named muscles: adductor brevis, adductor longus and adductor magnus. The adductor brevis and longus lie superficial to the adductor magnus. The adductor brevis is located superiorly and the adductor longus is located inferiorly. The adductor brevis lies deep to the adductor longus and pectineus muscles.

Origin: anteroinferior pubic ramus

Insertion: pectineal line, superomedial part of linea aspera

Action: adducts hip. Also lateral rotation of hip and flexion of hip.

Innervation: obturator nerve

Learn more about the anatomy of the thigh muscles in this anatomy tutorial.