16440 0

proximal attachment. The rectus femoris muscle has two tendons on the inferior anterior iliac spine and the ilium above the acetabulum. Vascularis lateralis: lateral side of upper three-quarters of posterior femur and upper half rough line hips. Vascularis medialis: throughout the posteromedial surface of the femur. Intermediate vastus femoris: anterior and lateral surfaces of the upper two-thirds of the body of the femur.

Distal attachment. In the distal third of the thigh, all four heads form a common tendon, which is attached to the tibial tuberosity, as well as to the apex and lateral edges of the patella, distally from the apex of the patella, the middle part of the tendon continues into the patellar ligament.

Function. Rectus femoris: leg extension, hip flexion with a fixed pelvis. Vascularis lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius: leg extension at the knee. The lateral and medial wide muscles take part in fixing the kneecap in a normal position.

Palpation. Quadriceps The thighs are the most massive muscle in the body, weighing approximately 50% more than the next largest gluteus maximus. Three of the four muscles that make up the quadriceps femoris (rectus, vastus lateralis, and vastus medialis) are easily palpable. The vastus intermedius muscle lies deeper than the rectus femoris and is not amenable to direct palpation.

To localize the quadriceps femoris, the following structures must be identified:
. The superior anterior iliac spine is a bony prominence below the iliac crest and serves as the site of attachment for the inguinal ligament. Easily palpated.

The greater trochanter of the femur is a bony protrusion on the lateral surface of the thigh, located approximately a palm length below the iliac crest; lies on the same horizontal line with the pubic crest.

The ilio-shin tract of the wide fascia of the thigh is a long fascial plate lying on outer surface hips. It is a thickened part of the fascia surrounding the thigh; the distal part is attached to the lateral condyle of the tibia. The place of attachment to the condyle is palpated anterior to the attachment of the tendon of the biceps femoris muscle. The ileo-shin tract is palpated in a sitting position with bent knee and a heel raised off the floor.

. The patella is a sesamoid bone in the common tendon of the quadriceps femoris.
. Tuberosity of the tibia.

Identify the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, and vastus medialis when the tibia is extended against resistance. Palpate the rectus femoris from its insertion on the superior anterior iliac spine to its insertion on the tibial tuberosity through the common quadriceps tendon.

Note that the belly of the vastus lateralis lies proximal to the belly of the vastus medialis.

Palpate the lateral broad muscle thigh on the anterior-lateral surface of the thigh anterior to the ilio-tibial tract of the wide fascia of the thigh, starting from the greater trochanter of the femur and to the distal attachment through the common tendon of the quadriceps muscle. Palpate the vastus medialis along the anteromedial surface of the thigh to its distal insertion through the common quadriceps tendon.

Before identifying and repairing spasmodic areas in the vastus medialis, start with the rectus femoris. After the rectus femoris becomes free from spasmodic areas, it will be possible to detect areas of local muscle contraction in the vastus intermedius muscle. Begin palpation at the proximal-lateral border of the rectus femoris and work your way down it until your fingers locate the vastus intermedius, lying deeper than the rectus femoris close to the femur.

Pain pattern. Pain from active trigger points can be felt in different places depending on which muscles are involved in the pathological process. Rectus femoris: pain in front of the knee, sometimes deep in the knee joint. The pain may be felt at night. Climbing stairs may be difficult. Vascularis lateralis : pain in the posterior lateral part of the knee. Pain can spread to the entire lateral part of the thigh, starting from the knee and up to the iliac crest. Distal trigger points can lead to immobilization of the patella and pain when walking.

Symptoms may include pain when lying on the affected side. Vascularis medialis: Pain in the anterior medial aspect of the knee may radiate down the distal half of the medial thigh; possible stiffness of the knee joint. Vasus Intermediate: Pain in the anterior thigh may radiate to the anterolateral portion of the upper thigh. The most intense pain may be in the middle third of the thigh. Climbing stairs can be difficult, as well as straightening the lower leg after sitting.

Causal or supporting factors.

Unexpected overburdening in a fall or, if the patient stumbles, chronic overburdening due to overly tight hamstring muscles.

satellite trigger points. In each of the muscles that make up the quadriceps femoris, trigger points can form in response to the presence of trigger points in other muscles of this group. Additional trigger points can form in the semimembranosus, semitendinosus, biceps femoris, and tensile muscles. fascia lata thigh, and iliopsoas muscle.

Affected organ system. Rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, and medial femoris: digestive system.

Intermediate wide muscle of the thigh: genitourinary system.

Associated zones, meridians and points.

Rectus femoris: ventral zone. The foot meridian of the stomach is yang-min. ST 31 - 34, SP 10, 11. Lateral broad muscle of the thigh: ventral and lateral zones. The foot meridian of the stomach is yang-min. The foot meridian of the gallbladder is shao-yang. ST 31 - 34, GB 31. Vascular medial muscle of the thigh: ventral zone. The foot meridian of the spleen is tai-yin. SP 10, 11. Intermediate vastus femoris: ventral zone. The foot meridian of the stomach is yang-min. ST 31 - 34, SP 10, 11.

Stretching exercise. It is performed standing or sitting on the edge of a chair. Bend your leg at the knee. Grasp the ankle with the same hand, pull the heel to the buttock, straightening the thigh as much as possible and hip joint. Push your pelvis forward to avoid excessive flexion of your lumbar spine. Fix the pose until the count of 10-15.

Strengthening exercise. Sit on a chair and place your feet on the floor. On a count of 2, raise your leg horizontally to the floor and fully straighten your shin on the affected side. Lower your leg for a count of 4. Repeat the exercise 10-12 times, lifting only one leg at a time.

To increase the force developed by the quadriceps femoris, an ankle weight can be used, the weight of which should be selected in accordance with the capabilities and needs of the patient.

D. Finando, C. Finando

Quadriceps femoris, m. quadriceps femoris(see Fig. , , , , , , , , , , , ). Each of the four heads has its origin, but, approaching the knee area, they all pass into a common tendon that covers the patella and is attached to the tibial tuberosity.

Rectus femoris, m. rectus femoris(see fig.), the longest of the four heads. It occupies the anterior surface of the thigh. It begins with a thin tendon from the lower anterior iliac spine, supraacetabular groove. Heading down, the muscle passes into a narrow tendon, which is part of the common tendon of the quadriceps femoris. Having reached the tibia, the tendon of the muscle is attached to the iliac tuberosity. Below the patella, this tendon is called the patellar ligament, lig. patellae.

vastus medialis muscle of thigh, m. vastus medialis(see Fig.), occupies the anteromedial surface of the lower half of the thigh. The muscle bundles that form it are directed obliquely from top to bottom and from the inside to the front. The front is somewhat covered by the rectus muscle. The muscle originates from medial lip rough line of the thigh and, heading down, passes into a wide tendon, which is partially woven into the common tendon along with the rectus muscle, and partially attached to the medial edge of the patella, forming the medial supporting ligament of the patella.

Vascularis lateralis muscle, m. vastus lateralis, occupies almost the entire anterolateral surface of the thigh. From above, it is somewhat covered by a muscle that strains the wide fascia, and in front - by the rectus femoris muscle. Muscle bundles are directed from top to bottom and from outside to front (see Fig.).

The muscle originates from the greater trochanter, intertrochanteric line and lateral lip of the broad line of the thigh. Heading down, the muscle passes into the wide tendon, which is part of the common tendon of the quadriceps muscle and participates in the formation of the lateral supporting ligament of the patella.

Intermediate vastus femoris, m. vastus intermedius(see Fig.), located on the front of the thigh between the medial and lateral wide muscles, directly under the rectus femoris. This muscle is the weakest among the other heads. It starts on the anterior surface of the femur - from the intertrochanteric line and, heading down, passes (almost half its length) into the wide tendon, which in the distal section joins the tendon of the rectus femoris muscle, passing into the common tendon of the quadriceps muscle.

Thus, all four heads of the muscle that form the quadriceps femoris pass into the tendon, which includes the patella and attaches to the tibial tuberosity. Synovial bags are located in front and behind the tendon (see fig.):

• a) subcutaneous prepatellar bursa, bursa subcutanea prepatellaris;
• b) suprapatellar bursa, bursa suprapatellaris, under the tendon of the quadriceps muscle, above the patella;
• in) deep subpatellar bursa, bursa infrapatellaris profunda, at the attachment of the patellar ligament to the tuberosity of the tibia;
• G) subcutaneous subpatellar bursa, bursa subcutanea infrapatellaris, anterior to the patellar ligament;
• e) subcutaneous bursa of the tibial tuberosity, bursa subcutanea tuberositatis tibiae, slightly lower than the previous one, lies on the anterior surface of the patellar ligament;
• e) subfascial prepatellar bag, bursa subfascialis prepatellaris, between the top of the anterior surface of the patella and the wide fascia of the thigh, unstable;
• g) prepatellar dry bursa, bursa subtendinea prepatellaris, in the thickness of the tendon of the quadriceps femoris, on the anterior surface of the base of the patella, unstable.

Some of these bags may communicate with the cavity of the knee joint.

Function: the quadriceps muscle, by contraction of all its heads, unbends the lower leg, due to m. recti femoris is involved in hip flexion.

Innervation: n. feraoralis (plexus lumbalis) (L II -L IV).

Blood supply: aa. circumflexa femoris lateralis, profunda femoris, a. femoralis.

Broad medial muscle of the thigh
Broad lateral thigh muscle
Broad medius femoris
Rectus femoris

Quadriceps femoris and stress points

From left to right: rectus femoris, latissimus lateralis, latissimus medialis, latissimus medius

QUADRICEPAL MUSCLE OF THE THIGH is the largest and strong muscle body. It weighs twice as much as the next largest gluteus maximus muscle and is composed of four separate muscles: the vastus medialis, the latissimus lateralis, the latissimus dorsum, and the rectus. The quadriceps muscle is the main extensor of the leg and knee.

Broad medial muscle runs along the inside of the thigh.

Broad lateral muscle bypasses the hip outside.

Broad medius muscle runs anteriorly along the femur.

Rectus femoris lies on top of a wide medium and goes to the middle of the femur. Of all the muscles that make up the quadriceps, only this one is biarticular - it passes through both the knee and the hip joint. From above, it is attached to the protrusion from the front side. pelvic bone. Thus, she not only straightens the knee, but also flexes the hip and pulls it to the chest.

These four muscles are interconnected and attached to the tibia (just below the knee) with a thick tendon. The kneecap is located just inside this tendon.

Tension points occur in the quadriceps muscle as a result of injuries, falls, dislocations, or after a direct injury to the knee. The formation of these points can lead to overexertion during long squatting, strong knee bends, strong blows kicking, repetitive jumping, fast running. Increased activity of the quadriceps muscle leads to the development of tension points. This happens in sports such as skiing, football, basketball, mountain climbing, cycling, as well as in dance classes and in hiking. Any activity that requires frequent flexion and extension of the leg can lead to problems, whether it's gardening, playing tennis or baseball. Since the quadriceps works in close contact with the hamstring, the stiffness of the latter causes the quadriceps to contract and make it difficult to relax. The quadriceps muscle will not function properly until the hamstring relaxes and stretches.

The main source of pain in the knee joint are points of tension in the muscles. However, misdiagnosis is often made. Each muscle in the quadriceps causes pain in different places and affects the knee different effect. Due to the fact that the quadriceps muscle is in front, it is relatively easy to work with it.

Voltage points in wide medial muscle located near the knee and in the middle of the thigh on the inside. They cause pain on the front and back of the knee joint and in the lower thigh. Sometimes the pain lasts for weeks, and then suddenly disappear. It is then that weakness appears in the knee, and it begins to bend involuntarily.

To find stress points, use thumb. When you find them, press directly on them.

In the broad lateral muscle quite a few stress points can form. They are located along the entire length of the muscle, they can be near the knee, in the middle of the thigh and in its upper part. As a rule, they give pain on the outer side of the thigh, but it can spread along the entire length of the thigh to the knee, as well as on the outer and back sides of it. You may have difficulty lying on your side. Reducing broad lateral muscle can reduce the mobility of the knee joint, leading to pain and difficulty walking. Sometimes it will be difficult to just bend your leg.

To find points of tension, massage your thigh up to your knee. When you find tension points, lie on your side and place the ball between your thigh and the floor. Gravity will compress the stress points. Take your time and be patient. For complete relaxation, you need to repeat this several times.

Voltage points in latissimus dorsi muscle, which is deepest of all, act differently from the rest. They usually appear after tension points have been present in other quadriceps muscles for some time. When present, pain occurs and spreads along the outer side of the thigh. Difficulties may then arise when climbing stairs and getting up from a chair after sitting for a long time.

Tension points in this muscle are the hardest to find because it is under the rectus femoris. To feel them, you need to press deeply with your fingers on upper part hips. To relax the muscle, use a small hard ball or other object.

Voltage points in rectus femoris usually occur closer to the mount in its upper part. Pain is felt in the front of the knee, in the patella, and often deep inside the knee joint. It may spread to lower part hips, make it difficult to go down stairs, be painful and worse at night.

To find the rectus femoris, sit on a chair and feel for the protrusion on the front of the pelvic bone above the joint of the thigh and torso. If you slide your fingers down, you will find two thick tendons. You will immediately feel the separation between them if you slightly bend your leg at the hip joint. One tendon (on the inside) belongs to the sartorius muscle, and the other (on the outside) to the rectus femoris (what you are looking for).

Draw a little down along the tendon where it meets the muscle. By massaging the muscle, you will find tight bands and points of tension. They are the ones who need to be pressured. For these purposes, you can use your fingers, a small hard ball or other hard object. You can do this both sitting and standing.

To speed up the relief of pain caused by the quadriceps, stretching is needed.

Stretch: Stand or sit on the edge of a chair. Grasp your ankle with your hand and pull your heel towards your buttocks. If you're doing this while standing, it's important that the thigh of the bent leg is in line with the leg you're standing on (as shown in the picture). For better stretch tilt the pelvis forward so that the hip joint does not bend. If your muscles are so tight that it is impossible to hold your leg, place it on a chair or on a stand and tilt your body back. Maintain this position for 20-30 seconds. Repeat several times a day until completely relaxed.

To fully relax the quadriceps, stretching the hamstring and adductors is very important.

TRAINING:
Rectus femoris


vastus medialis muscle of thigh

RIGHT
The torso should be straight.
You should pull the leg towards the body gently, stretching the muscle only to the extent that you feel comfortable.
The gaze should be directed forward.

NOT RIGHT
You should not lean forward.
The back should not sag.
You should not slouch your shoulders.

SIDE LANG STRETCH

GOAL
Buttocks
Inner side hips
Quadriceps

LEVEL
For beginners

ADVANTAGES
Helps increase the flexibility of the leg muscles.

CONTRAINDICATED
For problems with the knees TRAIN:
Rectus femoris
Vascularis lateralis muscle
Intermediate vastus femoris
Medial vastus femoris 1. Spread your legs wide and tilt your torso forward. At the same time, your hands should be in front of you, and your hands should rest on the floor. 2. Move one knee to the side so that the second leg remains straight. Shift most of your weight onto bent leg to feel the stretch in the muscles in the straightened leg. Stay in this position for 30 seconds. 3. Repeat, switching legs. Do three 30-second sets for each leg. RIGHT
When stretching, the leg should be fully extended.
During stretching, the gaze should rush to the floor.
Feet should be flat on the floor. WRONG
The body must not rotate.
The back should not bend forward.
Do not arch your back or neck.

The quadriceps of the thigh has the maximum volume in relation to the rest of the muscle mass. It received such a name for the fact that it contains four large muscle elements. Despite the power, this muscle is more susceptible to damage than others, since the fibers are close to the surface. Beginning athletes often suffer from muscle ruptures. That is why you need to know the muscular anatomy, especially for those who decide to tidy up the figure in the gym.

Anatomy of the quadriceps femoris

Quadriceps is a kind of conglomerate of four muscle masses:

• direct;
• lateral;
• medial;
• intermediate.

In the patella of the thigh, all these heads form a common tendon, its attachment goes to the surface structures of the tibia and the kneecap.

The anatomy of the powerful quadriceps femoris muscle is based on the structure of its components.

The direct femoral muscle departs from the acetabulum. Between the bone surface and muscle tissue is the articular bag. Further, the muscle turns down the anterior side hip joint, protrudes closer to the skin between the tailor's muscular element and the tensor of the fascia lata. The end of the muscle flows into the tendon of the quadriceps femoris muscle, which is fixed at the top of the patella. Basically, flexion in the hip is carried out with its help.

The largest muscle fiber of the quadriceps muscle is the lateral wide. Its top is attached by tendon bundles to the head of the femur and to the lateral intermuscular septum. At the bottom, it joins the tendon common to the four-headed array.

The vastus intermedius muscle starts on the ventral part of the thigh bone. Attaches to the top of the knee cup and participates in the creation of a single tendon bundle.

The attachment of the upper part of another muscle mass - the wide medial one - occurs in the area between the two trochanters, near the medial lip of the rough line. Then it runs along the middle side of the thigh. At the bottom, it also combines into a tendon with the rest of the quadriceps.

The blood supply to the quadriceps muscle is carried out by the femoral artery, which is a continuation of the iliac. Innervation of muscle tissue is carried out by the femoral nerve, which regulates motor abilities.

To understand exactly where these thigh muscles are located, you can look at the tense legs of athletes. In people who are fond of bodybuilding and powerlifting, the muscle mass is very pronounced.

The main functions of the quadriceps

Two important functions that the quadriceps femoris performs: static and dynamic. Thanks to the first, a person is able to stay upright and maintain balance. The quadriceps holds the articulation of the knee, that is, it does not allow it to move, and the limbs "buckle". Dynamic function refers to the ability of the knee joints to remain stable during intense movements.

The quadriceps muscles take part in flexion-extension of the lower limbs, pulling them up to the body, tilting the body in the femoral region. Its largest part - the lateral - performs the function of damping, is involved in straightening the knee joint. Depends on the development and shape of this array appearance thighs outside.

The functional features of the other three muscles, in addition to flexion and extension:

• The middle muscle does not allow the cup of the knee to move.
• The intermediate helps to straighten the limb at the knee joint when a person runs, jumps or squats.
• The rectus closes the rest of the quadriceps fibers. In addition to the protective function, it forms the roundness of the top of the leg.

The quadriceps has two types of muscle fibers - fast and slow. The latter help a person maintain balance, while the former prevail in those areas of the muscular elements that are responsible for elasticity.

Quadriceps Workouts

The quadriceps bear the main static load while maintaining balance. The quadriceps muscle makes up seventy percent of the muscle mass of the limb, its development is fundamental in leg training. Work on the muscles that are in its composition allows you to achieve bodily harmony, endurance, increase physical strength. Active training of the lower extremities improves the functioning of the excretory and genital organs, accelerates blood flow, relieves congestion and relieve the femoral and knee joints from excessive load.

In gym

The muscle mass is easily injured. A warm-up is necessary before classes. The beginning of the workout can be a five-minute run on a special track, which contributes to a good warm-up of the muscle mass of the legs. In addition to the treadmill, jump rope and simple squats are suitable. Also, as a warm-up, they walk around the hall with a goose step.

Squats. When performed, there is a risk of achieving such a muscular relief that the limbs become like the legs of an overweight person, and not an athlete. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to take into account the ratio of the length of the torso and legs. With a long thigh, an overload of the lumbar muscles is obtained.

Athletes who experiment with weights usually load the muscle fibers of the gluteal region, which is the wrong approach to training. Because of this, squats do not give the desired result.

Do squats with a barbell on your chest. This method allows you to use the right muscle groups, which will make the workout effective and protect against possible injury or pumping of the buttocks.

Squats in the hack simulator. Here lumbar almost not loaded, and a different position of the feet makes it possible to load the quadriceps. Gakk simulator - a device for training the muscles of the lower body. It straightens the back and at the same time allows you to simulate squats with a barbell. The lower limbs are placed on a support platform approximately shoulder-width apart and bent at the knees at a right angle. Back tightly lean on the back of the training unit. They squat and at the same time move the platform with the load. At the same time, the quadriceps, adductors, muscles of the buttocks and tendons under the knees work.

Leg press. With a small distance between the legs, the load is transferred to the quadriceps muscle. Extremely low position of the platform will not work, but this is not necessary. A significant part of the movements is made at the top. Relaxation of the quadriceps in the lower position and full extension in the upper position are not allowed. The task is not to take weight, but to strive to achieve straightening of the legs.

Leg extensions. The exercise must be carried out alternately for each limb. In the lower position, you can not sharply lower your legs, and at the top, hold the straightened limb for a long time. The optimal number of repetitions is approximately 10 to 15 times.

Lunges with dumbbells. Training is required to be performed eight to twelve times in three sets. It involves different muscle groups, but the quadriceps muscle is subjected to the greatest load.

At home

Squats with weights are carried out not only in the gym, but also at home, you just need to choose the right load and change it. For this exercise, dumbbells with adjustable weights are perfect.

What else can be included in the complex of home power loads:

• Stretch lunge. With your feet shoulder-width apart, take a wide step forward. Return to starting position. Without pause, take a step with the other foot.
• Lunges to the side. The process is similar, only you need to step to the right and left sides.
• Sumo squats. Legs wide apart, feet pointing outward. The squat is performed slowly, with quadriceps tension.
• Jumping in place according to the technique: legs together, then apart.

To increase the volume of muscle tissue and strength capabilities, classes are conducted in slow pace. To burn subcutaneous fat, move faster. Training is carried out with the number of visits not less than twenty-five.

Execution rules

For strength exercises on the quadriceps muscle of the thigh, a certain technique is required. It is not allowed to fully straighten the leg at the knee joint, so as not to get injured even when using a small weight. You also need to forget about jerking the exercise. When unnecessarily big weight reduce it.

Control your breathing while exercising. Inhale - on flexion, exhale - on extension.

The quadriceps femoris muscle is the largest muscle, loads on it cause drops in blood pressure. The muscle mass pumps a colossal amount of blood in the body, which is possible cause increase in heart rate. Between visits, it is necessary to interrupt for a two-minute rest to normalize the pressure. If after the session you feel dizzy, the break is extended. During training process drink water, otherwise dehydration and loss of strength are possible.

The quadriceps is a quadriceps muscle that contains both fast and slow muscle fibers. For harmonious development muscle mass in this area should not be used only power loads. Be sure to include cardio and statics.

The vastus lateralis muscle is one of the heads of the quadriceps, located on the anterior and partly lateral surface of the thigh. The thick oblique fibers of the vastus lateralis muscle originate from the greater trochanter, the intertrochanteric line, and the lateral lip of the broadline of the thigh. Heading down, the muscle passes into the wide tendon, which is part of the common tendon of the quadriceps muscle and participates in the formation of the lateral supporting ligament of the patella. From above, it is covered by a muscle that strains the wide fascia, and in front - by the rectus femoris muscle. The lateral broad muscle of the thigh occupies almost the entire anterolateral surface of the thigh.

The vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and vastus intermedius have a single function: leg extension. These muscles work together with the big ones. gluteal muscles, posterior hamstrings and calf muscles during squats. The rectus femoris muscle is also involved in this movement, however, it is fully included in the work only when hip flexion is combined with knee extension, for example, when changing legs while walking. harmoniously developed muscles quadriceps allow you to jump high, kick hard, squat, and also maintain the correct posture when walking.

Unfortunately, very often the vastus lateralis is much stronger than the medial. This imbalance leads to wear and displacement of the patella during flexion and extension of the leg. Most often, the patella is pushed laterally into the femoral groove, resulting in pain and cartilage damage.

With a serious imbalance, the patella can completely move out of the groove - a dislocation of the patella occurs. This often occurs in people with a high quadriceps angle, or "Q" angle. The quadriceps angle is measured in the supine position with legs extended. This angle is defined by a line running from the superior anterior iliac spine to the patella and from the center of the patella to the tibial tubercle. The normal quadriceps angle is 5 to 15 degrees. In women, this angle is usually larger due to the greater width of the pelvis compared to men.

In addition to the disproportionate development of the vastus lateralis muscle relative to the medial one, adhesion of the iliotitibial tract and vastus lateralis muscle is very often observed. Adhesion leads to displacement of the patella and chronic acute pain, and can also be the cause of inflammation in the greater trochanter and lateral condyle of the femur.

Massage techniques aimed at separating the fascial layers and lengthening shortened muscles are the best prevention and treatment of these diseases.

PALPATION OF THE LATERAL EXTENSION MUSCLE OF THE THIGH

Position: the client lies on his back, one leg is slightly bent at the knee. The applied pressure is adjusted according to the condition of the client.
1. Stand on the side of the client facing the hip. Use your palm to locate the greater trochanter of the femur.
2. Run your palm distally across the lateral thigh.
3. Palpate the oblique fibers of the vastus lateralis muscle behind and in front of the iliac-tibial tract.
4. Hold the client's leg while he tries to straighten it to return the patella to its normal position.

STRETCHING THE QUADRICEPS AT HOME

1. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Slightly bend both legs at the knees, keeping your back straight. Shift your body weight to your right foot.
3. Bend left leg in the knee, raising the heel of the left leg to the buttock, and grasp the foot with the left hand.
4. Gently pull the heel towards the buttock. Try not to hunch over. The buttocks should be tense. To stretch the vastus lateralis muscle more, lean forward slightly.
5. Repeat the same with the right leg.