Electromyography of Sartorius Muscle

C. EMORY JOHNSON, JOHN V. BASMAJIAN AND WILLIAM DASHER

Regional Rehabilitation Research and Training Center and
Department of Anatomy, Emoly University,
Atlanta, Georgia

ABSTRACT The sartorius muscle of ten normal subjects was studied by elec-
tromyography. It is most active during flexion of the hip and only slightly active
during lateral rotation and abduction of the hip. The muscle is usually more
active during knee flexion than during extension, but this is not universal. Appar-
ently in some persons it plays a role in knee extension in addition to its knee
flexion action, depending on knee position and variations in insertion. Sartorius
appears to be a regulator in hip flexion and lateral rotation during the swing
phase of gait.

Most anatomy textbooks summarize the
function of the sartorius muscle as flexion
of the thigh and leg, abduction of the thigh,
lateral rotation of the thigh, and medial
rotation of the leg (Goss, '66; Steindler,
'55). Its precise function is still debatable.
Hollinshead ('51) stated it is probably not
a strong flexor of the hip but is thought to
be of considerable importance in initiating
the movement, since most of the strong
flexors of the hip are at a mechanical dis-
advantage until the limb is in a slightly
flexed position. Duchenne (1876) in his
faradization experiments found that the
first function of the sartorius muscle was
to tense the medial portion of the femoral
aponeurosis and the skin and muscles in
relation to this aponeurosis. It acts like
the tensor fasciae latae does on the lateral
aspect of the thigh, but in an opposite di-
rection. He also stated that only at maxi-
mum contraction can lateral rotation of
the hip be produced; and even then, it is
limited and with little force. Basmajian
('70) also considers the sartorius muscle to
perform its actions by itself only weakly,
believing that it may play an important
stabilizing role during walking. At the
knee, while the sartorius has been listed
as an extensor of the leg (Wheatley and
Jahnke, '51 ), most investigators consider
it to be a flexor of the leg because its line
of pull is posterior to the axis of the knee
joint (Wells, '66).
Most electromyographic studies of the
sartorius muscle have not been isolated
studies of this particular muscle, but they
have been studies of several muscles of the
thigh in certain activities. Carlsoo and
Fohlin ('69), investigating the rectus fe-
moris, sartorius, and tensor fasciae latae
found that sartorius activity decreased
when hip flexion was combined with me-
dial rotation. This was reciprocal with the
tensor fasciae latae just as Duchenne had
proposed. The sartorius engaged in move-
ments of the knee joint only under special
circumstances. There was greater activity
when it was combined with lateral rotation
of the hip. They stated that during the
swing phase of walking, there was occa-
sional sartorius EMG activity, particularly
toward the end when lateral rotation was
combined with flexion of the hip. There-
fore, they concluded that the sartorius
muscle was chiefly a lateral rotator during
walking .
Houtz and Fisher ('59) in their study of
the back, thigh, and leg during exercise on
a stationary bicycle found that the sartori-
us, though a flexor of the knee, was elec-
trically active during the extensor phase of
cycling. This was in conjunction with the
quadriceps group, suggesting a role for the
sartorius in stabilizing the knee during
strong extension.
The sartorius is one of the two-joint
muscles of the thigh and as such has long
been intriguing to kinesiologists who
queried whether a two-joint muscle could
Received Oct. 18, '71. Accepted Jan. 10,'72.

ANAT. REC., 173: 127-130 127

128 C. E. JOHNSON, J. V. BASMAJIAN AND W. DASHER
act at one end without influencing the other
end. EMG studies showed that all parts of
the muscle bellies of two-joint muscles in
the thigh act simultaneously on both joints
with the greatest activity in the middle
(Basmajian, ’57).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The right sartorius muscle of ten normal
young adults was studied electromyograph-
ically. Six were male and four were female.
The subject, lying in a supine position,
flexed and laterally rotated his thigh while
his knee was maintained in a slightly flexed
position. The sartorius muscle usually
could be identified by palpation. A bipolar
fine-wire intramuscular electrode made of
two nylon-insulated Karma alloy wires
(25 LL in diameter) was inserted by means
of a 27 gauge hypodermic needle into the
middle of the muscle belly. The two wires,
their tips bared, bent back, and staggered,
made up one bipolar electrode (Basmajian,
’67). Before use they had been dry-
sterilized for 60 minutes at 130”.
Electrodes were connected to a high gain
electromyograph with a separate cathode
ray oscilloscope for monitoring and con-
nections for simultaneous recording on
Visicorder paper. Three channels on the
electromyograph were used: one for EMG
activity, one for a signal marker, and the
other for the investigator’s voice.
Lying supine on a table with the knees
flexed over the end of the table, the subject
actively extended and then flexed his knee
without and with resistance. Abduction,
adduction, lateral and medial rotation of
the hip with and without resistance fol-
lowed. Flexion of the hip together with
(and without) knee flexion and extension,
was recorded in a supine as well as in an
erect position while bearing weight on the
opposite leg. Using the signal marker at
heelstrike, level walking on a smooth floor
was recorded. The subject then walked up
and down stairs (with each step 17.5 cm
high and 25.5 cm deep).
The EMG records for the various tests
were rated for grades of activity and tabu-
lated. A grade of 1 represented slight ac-
tivity; 2, moderate activity; 3, marked ac-
tivity; and 4, very marked activity.
Findings
Table 1 summarizes the findings. Flexion
of the hip evoked the greatest electromyog-
raphy activitv of the sartorius muscle when
only one joint was put through any move-
ment. With combined movements of two
joints, the greatest activity was recorded
when hip flexion was accompanied by max-
imum knee flexion, although knee exten-
sion after the hip was flexed did show in-
creased activity also.
Only when it was resisted did abduction
of the hip produce slight-to-moderate activ-
ity. Medial rotation of the hip recruited
little or no activity. There was only slight
activity during lateral rotation of the hip
while supine, and slight to moderate ac-
tivity while sitting.
As expected, flexion of the knee was
generally accompanied by more activity
than any other motion confined to the knee,
being most marked against resistance in a
sitting position. Extension of the lknee was
accompanied by slight activity in most sub-
jects, but in three it showed more activity
than in flexion of the knee.
During level walking, there was some
activity throughout the swing phase rising
to about the middle of the swing phase.
During the remainder of the gait, ithere was
only nil-to-slight activity. The same pattern
occurred in descending steps. However, in
ascending steps, the sartorius aplpeared to
be more active immediately be€ore heel
strike.
DISCUSSION
That the sartorius muscle is eliectrically
active during flexion of the thigh is well
known. In this study, the muscle showed
most activity when active flexion of the
hip was occurring. We agree with Du-
chenne that the sartorius muscle is a weak
lateral rotator as well as a weak abductor
of the hip.
In most of the subjects, flexion of the
knee recruits more activity than does ex-
tension. It is interesting, however, that all
subjects show some activity and three show
more activity during extension of the knee.
Variations in the insertion of the sartorius
are well known and may account for this.
Sartorius is the most anterior muscle of
the “pes anserinus” muscles and i t is easy
to see how the pull could occasionally be
 EMG OF SARTORIUS 129

TABLE 1
Rating of EMG activity in right sartorius muscle (10 subjects) 1
Function Mean grade Range Mean “Level”
Knee extension
Supine without resistance 0.9 0-2.5 Slight
Supine with resistance 1.2 0-3.0 Slight
Sitting without resistance 1.o 0-2.5 Slight
Sitting with resistance 1.6 0.5-3.5 Slight-moderate
Knee flexion
Supine without resistance 1.0 0-2.5 Slight
Supine with resistance 1.6 0-2.5 Slight-moderate
Sitting without resistance 1.4 0.5-2.5 Slight-moder ate
Sitting with resistance 1.9 0.5-3.0 Moderate
Hip medical rotation
Supine 0.4 0-0.5 Nil
Sitting 0.7 0-1.5 Nil-Slight
Hip lateral rotation
Supine 1.3 0-3.0 Slight
Sitting 1.6 0-3.0 Slight-moderate
Hip flexion
Supine with knee extension 2.3 1.5-3.0 Moderate
Supine with knee flexion 2.6 1.5-3.0 Moderate-marked
Standing with knee extension 2.4 1.5-3.5 Moderate-marked
Standing with knee flexion 2.7 1.0-3.5 Large
Hip abduction (resisted) 1.8 1.0-2.5 Slight-moder ate
Hip adduction (resisted) 0.8 0-2.0 Slight
1 Grades: 0, nil; 1, slight; 2, moderate; 3, marked activity; 4, very marked.

at, or anterior to, the knee axis; this condi-
tion would be enhanced when the knee is
already in extension.
The sartorius may play a stabilizing role
in strong knee extension as previously pro-
posed (Houtz and Fisher, ’59). The role of
the sartorius in walking appears to be that
of a regulator. The swing phase of a nor-
mal gait is a low-energy phase. Once initi-
ated the weight of the leg swings forward
as a pendulum but its course is regulated
by several muscles of the thigh and leg,
one of which is the sartorius. Slight activ-
ity in this muscle occurs during the entire
swing phase, being at its peak (moderate
activity) about the middle of the swing
phase. The hip is laterally rotating during
the entire swing phase due to pelvic rota-
tion in conjunction with the leg’s forward
controlled momentum. More hip and knee
flexion is needed to clear the toe at the
middle of the swing phase, perhaps ex-
plaining the rise in activity in the middle
of the swing phase.
To clear the foot while ascending stairs
requires more flexion of the thigh as well
as dorsiflexion of the foot and appears to
be accompanied by more lateral rotation of
the thigh at the end of the swing phase.
This would explain the increase in its ac-
tivity during the latter part of this swing
phase.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was supported by grant 16-P-
56808/3-07from the Social and Rehabilita-
tion Services, Washington, D.C. We are
grateful for the technical assistance of
Mrs. E. Regenos, Glenn Shine, Mrs. Gail
Super, and the uncomplaining and essen-
tial contribution of our volunteer subjects.
LITERATURE CITED
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- 1967 Muscles Alive: Their Functions
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Williams & Wilkins Co., Baltimore, pp. 32-36.
- 1970 Primary Anatomy. Sixth ed.
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Carlsoo, S., and L. Fohlin 1969 The mechanics
of the two-joint muscles, rectus femoris, sar-
torius, and tensor fasciae latae i n relation to
their activity. Scand. J. Rehab. Med., I: 107-
111.
Carl*, S., and S. Molbech 1966 The functions
of certain two-joint muscles in a closed muscu-
130 C. E. JOHNSON, J. V. BASMAJIAN AND W. DASHER
lar chain. Acta Morph. Neer.-Scand., 6: 377-
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Duchenne, G. B. 1867 Physiology of Motion.
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Goss, C. M. 1966 Gray’s Anatomy of the Hu-
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