The gracilis
Gracilis · musculus gracilis
A long, slender muscle on the inner thigh.
What it does
The gracilis runs from the pubic bone straight down the inner thigh to the inside of the shin, just below the knee. It pulls the thigh inwards and helps bend the knee.
Surprising fact
Its name means "slender" in Latin, and because the body can manage without it, surgeons use it to rebuild muscles elsewhere, even to restore a smile in facial paralysis.
Why it matters
Like the other inner-thigh muscles, it can be strained by sudden sideways movements in sport, giving a groin pull.
Nearby
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.