The adductor longus muscle is a hip abductor muscle located in the inner thigh. This muscle controls the thigh bone’s ability to move inward and from side to side.
The muscle originates in the superior aspect of the pubis, below the pubic tubercle. It inserts at the middle third of the linea aspera of the femur along the medial lip. It adducts and flexes the thigh at the hip. It also contributes to lateral and medial rotation of the thigh. All adductor muscles in the thighs pull the legs toward the middle when walking, in order to maintain balance. The adductor longus, adductor magnus, and adductor brevis are the three most powerful muscles of the thigh. All three are ribbon-like muscles, attaching along the femur bone.
The adductor longus is long and triangular in shape. The muscle can become torn or over-stretched, which is commonly known as a groin pull. A strain in the adductor longus muscle can cause difficulty walking, pain with full leg extension, and pain while seated.
The adductor longus is one of the major muscles that receives nerves from the lumbar plexus, along with the adductor brevis, adductor magnus, gracilis, and obturator externus muscles.