In human anatomy, the adductor minimus (adductor femoris minimus or adductor quartus) is a small and flat

skeletal muscle Skeletal muscle (commonly referred to as muscle) is one of the three types of vertebrate muscle tissue, the others being cardiac muscle and smooth muscle. They are part of the somatic nervous system, voluntary muscular system and typically are a ...

in the thigh which constitutes the upper, lateral part of the adductor magnus muscle.Bergman, Ronald A.; Afifi, Adel K.; Miyauchi, Ryosuke (2010)
''Adductor Minimus (Henle, Günther)''
Anatomy Atlases It adducts and laterally rotates the femur.

Structure

The adductor minimus originates on the

pelvis The pelvis (: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an Anatomy, anatomical Trunk (anatomy), trunk, between the human abdomen, abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also c ...

at the inferior ramus of the pubis as the anterior-most part of the adductor magnus. It is inserted on the back of the

femur The femur (; : femurs or femora ), or thigh bone is the only long bone, bone in the thigh — the region of the lower limb between the hip and the knee. In many quadrupeds, four-legged animals the femur is the upper bone of the hindleg. The Femo ...

at the medial lip of the '' linea aspera'' and thus crosses the proximal part of the true adductor magnus.Platzer, Werner (2004),
Color Atlas of Human Anatomy, Vol. 1, Locomotor System
', Thieme, 5th ed, p 242 The adductor minimus and the adductor magnus are frequently separated by a branch of the superior perforating branch of the profunda femoris artery and the former muscle is considered independent from the latter because it is primarily a separate entity.

Innervation

It shares innervation with the adductor magnus; the obturator nerve supplies the part attached to the ''linea aspera'' while the tibial nerve (L3-5), a branch of the sciatic nerve, supplies the part inserted onto adductor tubercle.

Variation

In 33% of people, a supernumerary muscle is found between the adductor brevis and minimus. When present, this muscle originates from the upper part of the inferior ramus of the pubis from where it runs downwards and laterally. In half of cases, it inserts into the anterior surface of the insertion aponeurosis of the adductor minimus. In the remaining cases, it is either inserted into the upper part of the pectineal line or the posterior part of the lesser trochanter. While similar to its neighbouring adductors, it is formed by separation from the superficial layer of the obturator externus, and is thus not ontogenetically related to the adductors.

References

{{Authority control Hip adductors Thigh muscles Medial compartment of thigh