The vastus lateralis muscle is located on the side of the thigh.

The vastus lateralis is part of the quadriceps femoris muscle group, which is a large thigh muscle.

It is also the recommended site for intramuscular injections in infants under seven months old and in those with loss of muscle tone, usually due to not being able to walk. M. vastus lateralis. The vastus medialis is a muscle present in the anterior compartment of thigh, and is one of the four muscles that make up the quadriceps muscle. Tensor of Vastus Intermedius is a new muscle that is part of the Quadriceps[3].

The others are the vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius and rectus femoris. The vastus lateralis (VL) is a unipennate muscle, and a member of the anterior compartment of the thigh along with the sartorius, quadriceps femoris, rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis (VM), and vastus intermedius (VI) muscles.

Structure. The vastus lateralis is the largest of the three muscles and stretches the furthest length. It can only be seen by lifting or cutting the tensor fasciae latae. Quadriceps tendon rupture is a well recognized, debilitating condition, often requiring surgical intervention to restore normal knee function [1-5].The vastus lateralis is one of the four muscles that make up the quadriceps mass. The specific task of the vastus lateralis muscle is to extend the lower leg and allow the body to rise up from a squatting position. Common Name vastus lateralis: (văs′təs lăt′ə-rā′lĭs, -răl′ĭs) n. A muscle with origin from the posterior ridge of the femur as far as the greater trochanter, with insertion into the tibia, with nerve supply from the femoral nerve, and whose action extends the leg.

The primary function of all three of these muscles is knee flexion . The VL is 1 of the 4 component muscles of the quadriceps muscle group: rector femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius. The fourth element of the quadriceps is rectus femoris, described above. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. It is the most medial of the "vastus" group of muscles. Vastus Lateralis works with the other quadriceps muscles to extend the knee, particularly with activities such as getting up from a chair, climbing stairs and cycling.

Vastus Intermedius is located centrally, underneath Rectus femoris[1] in the anterior compartment of the thigh and on each side of it: Vastus medialis and Vastus Lateralis respectively[2].

There is a clear line seperating it from the rectus Vastus Lateralis How-To: The vastus lateralis is on the lateral side of the hind leg. The vastus lateralis is among the muscles that comprises the quadriceps femoris, and is included in the anterior portion of the thigh.

Function The vastus lateralis muscle does the following: Extends the leg at the knee.This means that the vastus lateralis muscle straightens the leg at the knee joint such that there is an increase in the angle between the lower leg and the upper leg.

It lies beneath the iliotibial tract, which is a band of fascia that runs vertically along the outer thigh. Collectively, the quadriceps muscle is the largest in the human body and its purpose is to extend the knee. The four muscles that comprise the quadriceps femoris are the: Rectus femoris

If we look closely, we can see that the quadriceps femoris can be split into 4 muscles: the rectus femoris muscle, vastus medialis muscle, vastus lateralis muscle, and vastus intermedius muscle.