Quadriceps femoris muscle: anatomical variations, population frequencies and clinical implications

Abstract

Recently, the classical anatomy of the quadriceps femoris has been questioned after the publication of various morphological variations that differ from the classical description. Therefore, it is necessary to collect information to reach an agreement on its structure. For this, a systematic review was carried out using the Web of Science, PubMed and ProQuest scientific databases, obtaining a total of 29 papers finally included in the systematic review after being subjected to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results obtained showed an important and variable prevalence of new configurations described, such as additional heads in the rectus femoris, a different origin of the vastus intermedius, various portions of the vastus lateralis, or the involvement of the vastus medialis in the patellofemoral musculature. For this reason, understanding the anatomy of the quadriceps femoris is a matter that has not yet been fully resolved, with high variability among people that must be studied prior to the application of an invasive and/or surgical procedure.