Dog · Muscle · Pelvic limb
Biceps muscle of the thigh
Musculus biceps femoris
Extends hip and tarsus; cranial fibres extend the stifle while caudal fibres flex it.
- System
- Muscle
- Region
- Pelvic limb
- Sides
- Paired: left and right
- Named parts
- 3
Where it runs from and to
A muscle is told apart from its neighbours by what it takes hold of at each end, which is also what decides what it does when it shortens.
- Origin
- Sacrotuberous ligament and the lateral angle on the ischiatic tuberosity.
- Insertion
- Through broad fascia to the patella, patellar ligament and cranial tibia; a tarsal tendon reaches the calcaneus.
- Action
- Extends hip and tarsus; cranial fibres extend the stifle while caudal fibres flex it.
- Nerve
- Sciatic nerve.
Written for Vetomica in its own words from the standard reference anatomy of the dog; the books it was checked against are listed below.
Named parts
The parts of this muscle the books name separately, and what each is called in the Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria.
- Cranial (superficial) head
- The front head, which arises from the sacrotuberous ligament and carries the muscle forward onto the fascia of the stifle.Miller 2020, p. 608
- Caudal (deep) head
- The back head, from the ischiatic tuberosity, lying deep to the first.Miller 2020, p. 608
- Middle branch
- The middle of the three fascial branches the muscle ends in, running to the patella and the patellar ligament.Miller 2020, p. 609
What it works on
Largest lateral thigh muscle; covers the sciatic nerve and popliteal lymph node.
Bones it takes hold of
Muscles and ligaments it works with
- Gluteus superficialis
- Semitendinosus
- Caudal crural abductor
- Vastus lateralis
- Tensor of the fascia lata
- Gastrocnemius
- Sacrotuberous ligament
- Patellar ligament
- Accessory calcanean tendon
Terminology
- English
- Biceps muscle of the thigh
- Latin (NAV)
- Musculus biceps femoris
- Status
- A valid term in the Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria
References
Where to read this structure in full, and where the named parts above were read.
- NAV 2017Myologia: musculi membri pelvini
- Miller's Anatomy of the Dog, 5th ed.The Muscular System: muscles of the pelvic limb
- König & LiebichMuscles of the pelvic limb
- Dyce, Sack & WensingThe hindlimb of the carnivores
- Miller 2020 (book pass)ch. 6 The Muscular System, PDF p. 610