adductors

Adductors refers to a group of muscles in the medial compartment of the thigh that move the leg toward the body's midline. The principal adductors are the adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, gracilis, and pectineus. The obturator externus is sometimes included because of its role in adduction and medial rotation of the hip.

These muscles originate mainly from the pubis and ischium and insert along the femur or tibia. They are primarily innervated by the obturator nerve; the adductor part of the magnus is supplied by the tibial division of the sciatic nerve, and the pectineus is often innervated by the femoral nerve. Blood supply comes from branches of the profunda femoris and surrounding vessels.

Functionally, the adductor group primary acts to adduct the thigh at the hip. They help stabilize the pelvis during gait and, depending on the muscle and hip position, can assist with hip flexion (notably adductor longus and brevis) or hip extension (adductor magnus). They work in concert with the abductors and other hip muscles to control leg movement and maintain balance.

Clinical relevance includes groin strains, common in athletes such as soccer players and runners. Injury may arise from rapid directional changes or sprinting, presenting as groin pain and swelling. Management typically involves rest, progressive rehabilitation, and targeted strengthening and flexibility work. Prevention emphasizes proper warm-up, balanced strength training, and gradual progression of activities to reduce recurrence.