Clean and separate the muscles of the adductor compartment as seen in this
dissection. The muscles include the gracilis, adductor
longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus and the obturator externus.
Inferiorly, the tendon of the gracilis, sartorius and
semitendinosus have common insertions on the medial tibia forming the
pes anserinus (goose's foot). NOTE: Remember, many muscles in this region cross more than one joint
so they have complex actions.
Expose the obturator externus muscle deep and
between the pectineus and adductor longus muscles. Attempt to find the anterior
and posterior branches of the obturator artery. HINT: You may wish to defer finding branches of the obturator artery until
you dissect the hip joint which involves removing many of the muscles of the region.
