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# Adductor magnus tendon

The adductor magnus tendon attaches to a small bump on the inner femur just above the knee; it is a landmark for the inner knee.

Official name: Tendon of adductor magnus

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## What it is

The tendon of the [adductor magnus](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/adductor-magnus/), ending on a bump on the inner femur above the knee.

## What it does

Pulls the leg inward; a landmark for the MCL.

## Key points

- Key landmark of the medial knee: followed down, it leads to the adductor tubercle; the MPFL attaches between the tubercle and the medial epicondyle, and the superficial MCL just above and behind the epicondyle
- The adductor hiatus opens above its insertion: the femoral artery passes through to become the [popliteal artery](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/popliteal-artery/), a fixed point where it can be injured in distal femoral fractures and knee dislocations
- The oblique fibres of the vastus medialis arise partly from this tendon

## Key facts

**Attaches**
Rounded tendon of the hamstring (ischiocondylar) part to the adductor tubercle on the medial femoral condyle; the adductor hiatus opens between it and the aponeurotic part

**Function**
Carries the pull of the hamstring part (hip extension and adduction); palpable landmark just above the medial epicondyle and the MCL origin

**Tight in**
Hip abduction with flexion

## Relations

**In front**
[Vastus medialis](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/vastus-medialis-muscle/), whose oblique fibres arise partly from it

**Lateral**
Adductor hiatus, between the tendon and the [femur](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/femur/), through which the [femoral artery](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/femoral-artery/) and [femoral vein](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/femoral-vein/) pass into the popliteal fossa

**Superficial**
[Sartorius](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/sartorius-muscle/), with the [saphenous nerve](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/saphenous-nerve/) and the descending genicular artery running down close to it

**Below**
Medial epicondyle, the femoral origin of the MCL and the attachment of the [MPFL](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/medial-patellofemoral-ligament/)

## How to find it

Seated with the knee bent, the medial femoral condyle is traced upward: the adductor tubercle is the small bump at its top, and the tendon is felt as a firm cord rising from it toward the inner thigh, tightening when the leg is pressed inward.

## On imaging

On coronal and axial MRI it is a dark cord ending on the adductor tubercle; it helps locate the MPFL and MCL attachments just below it.

## Clinical notes

- Landmark, together with fluoroscopic reference points, for the femoral fixation point in MPFL reconstruction
- Tenderness at the adductor tubercle can come from insertional tendinopathy of this tendon, an uncommon source of medial knee pain

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## Where does the adductor magnus tendon insert?

On the adductor tubercle at the top of the medial femoral condyle.

## What passes through the adductor hiatus above the adductor magnus insertion?

The femoral artery and vein, which become the popliteal vessels; the artery is fixed there and at risk in distal femoral fractures.

## Why is the adductor magnus tendon a landmark in MPFL reconstruction?

It leads to the adductor tubercle; the MPFL attaches between the tubercle and the medial epicondyle.

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Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.

## Its names

**Official Latin (TA2)**
adductor magnus TA2 2630

**Official Spanish (DeCS)**
Tendón del aductor mayor DeCS D013710

**English (TA2)**
Tendon of adductor magnus

**Also called**
adductor magnus muscle

## Related

- [Adductor magnus](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/adductor-magnus/)
- [Femur](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/femur/)

Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); [DeCS](https://decs.bvsalud.org/es/ths/resource/?id=14088); [Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb: Thigh Adductor Magnus Muscle](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534842/).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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Source: https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/tendon-of-adductor-magnus/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/tendon-of-adductor-magnus/