What is a Groin Strain / Adductor Strain?
Where are the Groin / Adductor Muscles?
The Adductor Muscle Group which when injured produce a groin strain are found in the upper inner thigh.
In this diagram of the front of the Right Thigh you can see the Adductor Muscles numbered on the inner side of the thigh.
There are FIVE muscles in the Adductor Muscle Group
1 – Pectineus
2 – Adductor Longus
3 – Gracilis
4 – Adductor Magnus
5 – Adductor Brevis muscle is deeper and therefore hidden in this diagram.
Pelvic Attachments of Adductor Muscles
Each side of the Pelvis is formed from 3 bones which are fused together.
These bones are the Pubis, the Ischium and the Ilium.
All the Adductor Muscles attach to the front of the pelvis.
1 – Pectineus – high on the Pubis bone
2 – Adductor Longus from a rounded tendon high on the front of the pubis
3 – Gracilis from a long thin attachment on the body and inferior ramus of the Pubis and the ramus of the Ischium
4 – Adductor Magnus arises from part of the Pubic ramus and Ischeal ramus and tuberosity
5 – Adductor Brevis muscle lies posterior to Adductor Longus and Pectineus .
Femur Attachments of Adductor Muscles
All the Adductor Muscles apart from Gracilis attach to the back of the Femur (thigh bone).
1 – Pectineus – high up near the top of the shaft of the Femur
2 – Adductor Longus attaches to the middle third of the Femur below Adductor Brevis
3 – Gracilis does not attach to the Femur but actually crosses the inside of the knee joint to attach to the upper Tibia
4 – Adductor Magnus is a massive muscle which is attached all the way down the back of the Femur
5 – Adductor Brevis muscle attaches to the upper third of the Femur above Adductor Longus
Adductor Magnus has an upper part in which the muscle fibres run horizontally and can be known as the Adductor Minimus.
This part of the muscle lies behind the Pectineus and is shown in the diagram by the red dotted line just below the number 1.
It also has a medial part whose fibres run almost vertically downwards. This bulky part of the muscle ends in a tendon which attaches to the Adductor Tubercle on the medial condyle of the Femur just above the knee.
The Adductor Brevis muscle lies deep to Adductor Longus and Pectineus muscle.
These parts of the muscle are shown in the diagram by the purple dotted lines.
Most groin pain from Adductor Muscle Strains affects the upper attachments of the Adductor Longus and Gracilis muscles.
Now you have an understanding of where the Adductor Muscles lie and where they attach to the pelvis and the Femur.
You are probably surprised at the size and extent of the Adductor muscles.
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