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# Sartorius tendon

The sartorius tendon is the flat, outermost of three tendons that join on the inner shin bone below the knee (the pes anserinus).

Official name: Tendon of sartorius

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## What it is

The tendon of the sartorius, one of three tendons that join on the inner tibia (the pes anserinus).

## What it does

Helps bend the knee and steady its inner side.

## Key points

- Its broad, flat aponeurosis is the superficial layer of the pes anserinus, covering the round gracilis and semitendinosus tendons that lie deep and below it
- The pes anserine bursa separates the three tendons from the tibial attachment of the superficial MCL
- The infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve ([infrapatellar nerve](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/infrapatellar-branch-of-saphenous-nerve/)) usually pierces or curls around the [sartorius](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/sartorius-muscle/) near the knee; medial knee incisions can cut it, leaving numbness below the [patella](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/patella/)

## Key facts

**Attaches**
Broad aponeurosis to the upper medial surface of the tibia, the most anterior and superficial of the pes anserinus (in front of gracilis and semitendinosus)

**Function**
Knee flexion and medial rotation of the leg; dynamic support of the medial knee; the pes anserine bursa lies beneath

**Tight in**
Hip extension and adduction with the knee extended

## Relations

**Course**
Passes behind the medial femoral condyle, then turns forward and spreads into a thin aponeurosis on the upper medial [tibia](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/tibia/), medial to the tibial tuberosity

**Deep**
[Gracilis](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/gracilis-muscle/) and [semitendinosus](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/semitendinosus-muscle/) tendons, the [pes anserine bursa](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/anserine-bursa/) and the superficial MCL

**Superficial**
[Crural fascia](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/crural-fascia/) (the first layer of the medial knee) and [skin](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/skin/); the [great saphenous vein](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/great-saphenous-vein/) runs in the fat nearby

**Behind**
[Gracilis tendon](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/tendon-of-gracilis/); the [saphenous nerve](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/saphenous-nerve/) becomes subcutaneous between the two

## How to find it

The pes anserinus is felt on the upper inner tibia, medial to the tibial tuberosity and below the joint line; the sartorius part is its front, flat edge and is hard to separate from the deeper tendons by touch.

## On imaging

On ultrasound the sartorius aponeurosis is a thin band over the round gracilis and semitendinosus tendons; an inflamed pes anserine bursa shows as fluid beneath them, superficial to the MCL.

## Clinical notes

- Pes anserine tendinopathy and bursitis cause pain on the upper inner tibia, often with knee osteoarthritis, and can mimic a medial meniscal tear
- For hamstring graft harvest the sartorius fascia is opened to reach the gracilis and semitendinosus underneath
- The pes anserinus was once transferred forward to resist rotatory instability of the knee, a procedure now mostly historical

## Memory aid

Pes anserinus from front to back, the 'SGT' (sergeant): Sartorius, Gracilis, semiTendinosus.

## Test yourself

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

## What is the order of the pes anserinus tendons from front to back?

Sartorius, gracilis, semitendinosus ('SGT'); the sartorius aponeurosis is the most anterior and superficial.

## What separates the pes anserinus tendons from the superficial MCL?

The pes anserine bursa.

## Which nerve can be cut near the sartorius tendon in medial knee incisions, and with what result?

The infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve, leaving numbness below the patella.

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

## Its names

**Official Latin (TA2)**
musculus sartorius TA2 2610

**Official Spanish (DeCS)**
Tendón del sartorio DeCS D013710

**English (TA2)**
Tendon of sartorius

## Related

- [Gracilis tendon](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/tendon-of-gracilis/)
- [Sartorius](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/sartorius-muscle/)
- [Hip bone](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/hip-bone/)

Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); [DeCS](https://decs.bvsalud.org/es/ths/resource/?id=14088); [Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb: Thigh Sartorius Muscle](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532889/).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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