Psoas minor muscle

The psoas minor is a long, slender skeletal muscle which, when present, is located anterior to the psoas major muscle.Right hip bone, internal surfaceRight femur, posterior surfacePsoas minor musclePsoas minor musclePsoas minor muscle The psoas minor is a long, slender skeletal muscle which, when present, is located anterior to the psoas major muscle. Psoas minor originates from the vertical fascicles inserted on the last thoracic and first lumbar vertebrae. From there, it passes down onto the medial border of the psoas major, and is inserted to the innominate line and the iliopectineal eminence. Additionally, it attaches to and stretches the deep surface of the iliac fascia and occasionally its lowermost fibers reach the inguinal ligament. Variations occur, however, and the insertion on the iliopubic eminence sometimes radiates into the iliopectineal arch. It arises from the sides of the bodies of the twelfth thoracic and first lumbar vertebrae and from the intervertebral discs separating them. It ends in a long flat tendon which is inserted into the pectineal line and iliopectineal eminence, and, by its lateral border, into the iliac fascia. The psoas minor is supplied by the four lumbar arteries (inferior to the subcostal artery) and the lumbar branch of the iliolumbar artery. The psoas minor is considered inconstant and is often absent, only being present in about 40% of human specimens studied. It has an average length of about 24 cm, of which about 7.1 cm is muscle tissue and about 17 cm is tendon.