The down and in stretch targets which muscle?

The down and in stretch targets which muscle?

• A. Rectus Femoris
• B. Iliopsoas
• C. Gluteus Maximus
• D. Iliacus

Answer: (D)

Moving the thigh down and toward the midline places a maximal stretch on the iliacus because this deep hip flexor lies along the inner pelvis and crosses the hip joint from above to the femur. When the hip is flexed and the leg is guided inward, the fibers of iliacus are lengthened along their natural line of pull, more so than the other muscles listed. The rectus femoris would be stretched more by different hip-knee positions, the gluteus maximus lies posterior and is stressed by other directional cues, and while the iliopsoas as a group includes the psoas major, the iliacus portion is the one most affected by this particular down-and-in pattern. Therefore, this stretch targets the iliacus.

Moving the thigh down and toward the midline places a maximal stretch on the iliacus because this deep hip flexor lies along the inner pelvis and crosses the hip joint from above to the femur. When the hip is flexed and the leg is guided inward, the fibers of iliacus are lengthened along their natural line of pull, more so than the other muscles listed. The rectus femoris would be stretched more by different hip-knee positions, the gluteus maximus lies posterior and is stressed by other directional cues, and while the iliopsoas as a group includes the psoas major, the iliacus portion is the one most affected by this particular down-and-in pattern. Therefore, this stretch targets the iliacus.