• 30 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Leg Muscles Quiz

Name the muscles of the thigh and lower leg, one view at a time.

Leg Muscles Quiz

Name Date

Tap the iliotibial tract (IT band)

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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Iliopsoas
  2. Pectineus
  3. Adductor longus
  4. Sartorius (tailor's muscle)
  5. Iliotibial tract (IT band)
  6. Rectus femoris
  7. Vastus lateralis
  8. Vastus medialis
  9. Quadriceps tendon
  10. Patellar ligament
  11. Tibialis anterior (shin muscle)
  12. Extensor digitorum longus
  13. Extensor hallucis longus
  14. Fibularis longus (peroneus longus)
  15. Fibularis brevis (peroneus brevis)
  16. Fibularis tertius (peroneus tertius)
  17. Superior extensor retinaculum
  18. Inferior extensor retinaculum
  19. Gluteus medius
  20. Gluteus maximus (glutes)
  21. Adductor magnus
  22. Semitendinosus
  23. Semimembranosus
  24. Long head of the biceps femoris
  25. Short head of the biceps femoris
  26. Plantaris
  27. Medial head of the gastrocnemius
  28. Lateral head of the gastrocnemius
  29. Soleus
  30. Calcaneal tendon (Achilles tendon)

Drawn for this site on 2026-10-04 as plain geometry in code: four views of the muscles of the right lower limb. Licence: own drawing; outlines after public domain plates.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: the muscles of the whole body, front and back

All 30 parts on the diagram

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Thigh, front 10

  1. Iliopsoas Two muscles, the psoas major and the iliacus, that share one tendon. They pass under the inguinal ligament into the thigh and bend it at the hip.
  2. Pectineus A flat, four-sided muscle in the floor of the femoral triangle. It pulls the thigh inward and bends it at the hip.
  3. Adductor longus Pulls the thigh in toward the other leg. A large, flat muscle from the pubis to the back of the femur.
  4. Sartorius (tailor's muscle) The muscle that lets us sit cross-legged. A band-like muscle from the front of the hip bone to the inner side of the tibia.
  5. Iliotibial tract (IT band) A long band of tough tissue down the outer thigh. It runs to the tibia. The tensor fasciae latae pulls on it, which helps steady the outer side of the knee.
  6. Rectus femoris The quadriceps muscle on the front of the thigh. The four quadriceps muscles straighten the knee.
  7. Vastus lateralis The quadriceps muscle on the outer side of the thigh.
  8. Vastus medialis The quadriceps muscle on the inner side of the thigh. A fourth one, the vastus intermedius, is hidden under the rectus femoris.
  9. Quadriceps tendon The tendon shared by all four quadriceps muscles. It attaches them to the kneecap.
  10. Patellar ligament It carries on below the kneecap and attaches to the tibial tuberosity. That is the bump at the top of the shin. Some books call it the patellar tendon.

Lower leg, front 8

  1. Tibialis anterior (shin muscle) A long, thick muscle on the outer surface of the tibia. It is the strongest of the muscles that raise the front of the foot.
  2. Extensor digitorum longus It lies on the outer side of the tibialis anterior. Its tendon splits into four on top of the foot, one for each of the four smaller toes, which it straightens.
  3. Extensor hallucis longus It lies deep between its two neighbors. Its tendon comes out between them low in the leg and runs to the big toe, which it straightens.
  4. Fibularis longus (peroneus longus) The larger of two muscles on the outer side of the leg. Both turn the sole of the foot outward.
  5. Fibularis brevis (peroneus brevis) Deeper and shorter than the fibularis longus. Its tendon runs down into the foot beside that muscle's tendon.
  6. Fibularis tertius (peroneus tertius) A small muscle linked with the extensor digitorum longus. Sometimes fused to it. Not everyone has one.
  7. Superior extensor retinaculum Holds the tendons in place when the foot is raised. A thick band of connective tissue across the front of the leg, from the fibula to the tibia.
  8. Inferior extensor retinaculum A Y-shaped band in front of the ankle joint. Its stem is on the outer side, and it holds the same tendons in place.

Thigh, back 7

  1. Gluteus medius A fan-shaped muscle that lies partly under the gluteus maximus. It lifts the thigh out to the side.
  2. Gluteus maximus (glutes) The largest of the three gluteal muscles. The main muscle that straightens the thigh at the hip. Its fibers slope across the buttock.
  3. Adductor magnus The largest muscle of the inner thigh. It pulls the thigh inward, and the part that starts on the ischial tuberosity helps straighten the hip.
  4. Semitendinosus Lies on top of the semimembranosus. A largely tendinous muscle on the inner side of the back of the thigh.
  5. Semimembranosus Flat and broad, it lies under the semitendinosus. It attaches to the inner side of the tibia. Like the other hamstrings it bends the knee.
  6. Long head of the biceps femoris It starts on the ischial tuberosity of the pelvis. The two heads join in one tendon that attaches to the head of the fibula.
  7. Short head of the biceps femoris It joins the long head's tendon. It starts on the linea aspera, the ridge down the back of the femur.

Lower leg, back 5

  1. Plantaris A small muscle with a long tendon. The tendon runs down between the gastrocnemius and the soleus. Some people have none.
  2. Medial head of the gastrocnemius It starts on the medial condyle of the femur. The two heads join in a single belly, the most visible muscle of the calf.
  3. Lateral head of the gastrocnemius It starts on the lateral condyle of the femur. So the gastrocnemius crosses the back of the knee.
  4. Soleus A wide, flat muscle under the gastrocnemius. Both end in the calcaneal tendon and point the foot down.
  5. Calcaneal tendon (Achilles tendon) The strong tendon of the calf muscles. It attaches them to the calcaneus, the heel bone.

How this list was compiled: Every name and detail line was checked on 2026-09-30 against OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, section 11.6 Appendicular Muscles of the Pelvic Girdle and Lower Limbs, https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/11-6-appendicular-muscles-of-the-pelvic-girdle-and-lower-limbs; TeachMeAnatomy, the muscle pages for the gluteal region, the thigh (anterior, medial, posterior) and the leg (anterior, lateral, posterior), from https://teachmeanatomy.info/lower-limb/muscles/; and Wikipedia: List of skeletal muscles of the human body, Superior extensor retinaculum of foot, Inferior extensor retinaculum of the foot. The wording is in our own words. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-04 as plain geometry in code: four views of the muscles of the right lower limb. The outlines follow four public domain plates of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, 20th US edition, 1918, by Henry Gray, drawn by Henry Vandyke Carter (public domain, via Wikimedia Commons): fig. 430 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray430.png), Muscles of the iliac and anterior femoral regions; fig. 434 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray434.png), Muscles of the gluteal and posterior femoral regions; fig. 437 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray437.png), Muscles of the front of the leg; fig. 438 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray438.png), Muscles of the back of the leg, superficial layer. The gluteus maximus and the gastrocnemius, cut away in figs. 434 and 438, and the foot, splayed in fig. 437, are drawn whole from general anatomy. Licence: own drawing; outlines after public domain plates

How it works

The right leg in four drawings: the thigh from the front and from behind, then the lower leg the same way. It works as a muscles of the lower extremity quiz from hip to heel.

Read the full guide

The two front views

On the thigh the sartorius slants from hip to knee; under it rectus femoris runs down the middle with a vastus muscle on each side, and their shared tendon holds the kneecap. Below the knee, tibialis anterior lies beside the shin bone with the toe extensors and the fibularis muscles on its outer side. A lab sheet that says correctly label the muscles of the leg usually means these.

The two back views

The gluteus maximus covers the hip above three hamstrings. In the calf, the two heads of the gastrocnemius lie over the soleus, and both end in the calcaneal tendon.

  • Semitendinosus ends in a long, thin tendon. Semimembranosus is the flat, broad muscle under it.
  • Both fibularis names have an older twin: peroneus longus and peroneus brevis. The quiz takes either.
  • Only the long head of the biceps femoris starts on the pelvis. The short head starts on the femur.

Questions and answers

What are the four quadriceps muscles?

Rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and vastus intermedius. The first three show in the front view; vastus intermedius lies hidden under the rectus femoris. All four share the quadriceps tendon and straighten the knee.

Which muscles are the hamstrings?

Three long muscles on the back of the thigh: the biceps femoris on the outer side, and the semitendinosus and semimembranosus on the inner side. They bend the knee, and their tendons border the hollow behind it, the popliteal fossa.

Is there a leg muscles worksheet to print?

Yes. The blank sheet holds all four views with numbered rings: 1 to 10 on the front of the thigh, 11 to 18 on the front of the lower leg, 19 to 25 and 26 to 30 on the two back views.

What muscles make up the calf?

The gastrocnemius, with its medial and lateral heads, and the wide, flat soleus under it. The small plantaris runs between the two. All three end in the calcaneal tendon, also called the Achilles tendon, at the heel bone.

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