Vastus lateralis

This section is about the Muscles of the Legs and Feet

The vastus lateralis muscles are located in the upper anterior (anterior = 'front') of the legs of the human body.

The two vastus lateralis muscles, one of which is located in each leg, are the most lateral (lateral = 'away from the mid-line of the body' so towards the outer -right or -left side) of the four quadriceps muscles of the human thighs.

Origin, Insertion and Actions of the Vastus Lateralis muscles:

Point of Origin:	Upper part of the femur bone
Points of Insertion:	Patella border, and (via the patella ligament) the tibial tuberosity (of the tibia bone).
Actions:	Extends the leg at the knee joint.

The vastus lateralis muscles are labelled on our diagram of human anterior muscles.

More about Muscles:

The following are some popular pages in the section about the human muscular system:

The structure of muscle tissue
The structure of muscle cells
Labelled diagrams of the muscles in different parts of the body including anterior muscles, posterior muscles and facial muscles
Types of muscle contractions
Movements at joints

There are also more pages about the words used to describe muscles (terminology), the anatomy and physiology of muscles, muscular disorders and associated topics. See also books about sports medicine.

This may be useful study or revision material for students following courses in Human Anatomy, Sports Science, Massage, Reflexology or other subjects that require knowledge of the muscular structures of the arms, legs, hands and feet.

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Vastus lateralis

Origin, Insertion and Actions of the Vastus Lateralis muscles:

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