Albany Medical College Virtual Anatomy Lab

Posterior Viscera - Retroperitoneum: Page 2 of 7

Add the quadratus lumborum which stabilizes the twelveth rib and helps with bending laterally.
Add the iliacus.
Add the psoas major which in our cadaver is a blending of the psoas major and psoas minor muscles.

The iliacus and the psoas are sometimes grouped together as the iliopsoas muscle. This is particularly evident when they join in the iliac fossa.

What is the function of the iliopsoas muscle?