010-111 · Question #12
What is the major muscle used to flex the hip joint?
The correct answer is B. Iliopsoas. The iliopsoas, formed by the union of the iliacus and psoas major, is the primary and most powerful muscle responsible for flexing the hip joint.
Question
What is the major muscle used to flex the hip joint?
Options
- AVastus lateralis
- BIliopsoas
- CBiceps femoris
- DGluteus maximus
How the community answered
(42 responses)- A10% (4)
- B83% (35)
- C2% (1)
- D5% (2)
Why each option
The iliopsoas, formed by the union of the iliacus and psoas major, is the primary and most powerful muscle responsible for flexing the hip joint.
The vastus lateralis is a member of the quadriceps group and functions to extend the knee joint, not to flex the hip.
The iliopsoas combines the psoas major (originating on the lumbar vertebrae) and the iliacus (originating on the iliac fossa), with both heads inserting on the lesser trochanter of the femur. This combined muscle produces the greatest force for hip flexion and is consistently identified as the primary hip flexor in kinesiology and anatomy, making it the definitive answer when a single dominant muscle is required.
The biceps femoris is a hamstring muscle that flexes the knee and extends the hip, making it functionally opposite to a hip flexor.
The gluteus maximus is the primary hip extensor and powerfully opposes the iliopsoas in hip joint mechanics, not a hip flexor.
Concept tested: Primary muscle responsible for hip joint flexion
Topics
Community Discussion
No community discussion yet for this question.