The sartorius muscle (), historically known as couturier (French for "tailor"), is the longest muscle in the human body. It is a long, thin, superficial muscle that runs down the length of the thigh in the anterior compartment.
Structure
The sartorius muscle originates from the anterior superior iliac spine, and part of the notch between the anterior superior iliac spine and anterior inferior iliac spine. It runs obliquely across the upper and anterior part of the thigh in an inferomedial direction.
Function
The sartorius muscle can move the hip joint and the knee joint, but all of its actions are weak, making it a synergist muscle. The pes anserinus involves the tendons of the gracilis, semitendinosus, and sartorius muscles; these tendons attach onto the anteromedial proximal tibia. When inflammation of the bursae underlying the tendons occurs, they separate from the head of the tibia.
History
The name sartorius comes from the Latin word sartor, meaning tailor, and it is sometimes called the tailor's muscle.