Adductor longus !
The adductor longus is an inner thigh muscle from the pubic bone; it pulls the leg inward and is often hurt in groin strains.
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What it is
A fan-shaped inner thigh muscle, from the front of the pubic bone to the middle of the back of the femur.
What it does
Pulls the leg inward and helps bend the hip.
Key facts
- Origin
- Body of pubis, below pubic crest
- Insertion
- Middle third of linea aspera
- Action
- Adducts hip; assists hip flexion
- Nerve
- Obturator nerve, anterior branch (L2–L4) (some texts: also a branch of the femoral nerve)
- Blood supply
- Deep femoral artery; medial circumflex femoral artery; obturator artery
Relations
- In front
- Femoral artery and vein in the lower femoral triangle and the adductor canal; the sartorius lower down
- Behind
- Adductor brevis and adductor magnus, with the anterior branch of the obturator nerve and the deep femoral vessels between them and this muscle
- Medial
- Gracilis
- Lateral
- Pectineus, in the same plane; together they form the medial part of the floor of the femoral triangle
How to find it
Supine with the hip slightly abducted, resisting adduction makes the tendon stand out as the firmest cord in the groin; it can be traced up to the body of the pubis just below the pubic tubercle, a landmark in the groin examination.
Examination
- Adductor squeeze test: a fist, ball or pressure cuff is squeezed between the knees, with the hips bent or straight; groin pain or a weak squeeze points to adductor-related groin pain
On imaging
MRI is the main test in groin pain: look for oedema or a tear at the proximal tendon and the muscle–tendon junction, or the tendon pulled off the pubis in an avulsion. Ultrasound shows acute tears and can guide injections. Because it arises right beside the pubic symphysis, the same MRI also checks the pubic bone for marrow oedema (osteitis pubis).
Common problems
- The muscle most often injured in a groin strain, usually near where its tendon starts on the pubic bone.
- Groin pain can also come from the hip joint, a hernia or the pubic bone area (athletic pubalgia), which need to be told apart.
How it is diagnosed
Physical exam: tenderness and pain when squeezing the legs together against resistance. Ultrasound or MRI for significant injuries or long-lasting pain.
Treatment
- Rest, ice, then gradual stretching and strengthening with a physical therapist.
- A planned return to sport, with hip and core strengthening to prevent repeat strains.
- Rarely, surgery for a complete tendon pull-off from the pubic bone.
Clinical notes
- Groin pain in athletes is commonly grouped as adductor-, iliopsoas-, inguinal- or pubic-related (Doha classification); this muscle is the main source of the first group
- Rider's bone: ossification in the upper adductor longus after repeated strain, classically described in horse riders
- Avulsion of its tendon from the pubis occurs with forceful kicking or splits; complete tears are sometimes repaired
Development
Part of the adductor group formed from the ventral (flexor) muscle mass, which is why it is supplied by the obturator nerve.
Memory aid
Femoral triangle: borders SAIL (Sartorius, Adductor longus, Inguinal Ligament); contents from lateral to medial NAVL (Nerve, Artery, Vein, Lymphatics).
Related conditions
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
What are the borders of the femoral triangle, and which one is the adductor longus?
Sartorius, adductor longus and inguinal ligament (SAIL); the adductor longus is the medial border.
Which vessels does the adductor longus separate?
The femoral artery and vein in front of it from the deep femoral artery and vein behind it.
Which nerve supplies the adductor longus?
The anterior branch of the obturator nerve (L2–L4).
Which muscle is most often injured in a groin strain, and which test reproduces it?
The adductor longus, near its pubic origin; the adductor squeeze test causes groin pain or a weak squeeze.
Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.
Its names
- Official Latin (TA2)
- adductor longus TA2 2628
- Official Spanish (DeCS)
- Músculo aductor largo
- English (TA2)
- Adductor longus
- Also called
- adductor longus muscle
Related
- Pectineus
- Adductor brevis
- Obturator nerve
- Deep femoral artery
- Obturator artery
- Adductor longus tendon
- Femur
- Hip bone
Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb: Medial Thigh Muscles.
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.
