1.5.3 Popliteal Fossa and the Leg Flashcards
What denotes the lateral and medial edge of the popliteal fossa?
The tendons of the hamstring
Where do all of the important branches of the femoral nerve orginate and stay? What is the one exception?
The femoral triangle.
The exception: saphenous nerve which supplies the skin of the medial calf
What nerve gives sensation to the medial side of the anterior thigh?
Anterior femoral cutaneous nerve
What nerve gives sensation to the lateral portion of the thigh?
Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (not a branch off the femoral n.)
What are the two main arteries that supply blood to the head of the femur and hip joint?
Medial and lateral circumflex
What are the 4 bursae of the patellar joint and their location?
Quadriceps tendon bursitis especially effects which patellar bursae?
Suprapatellar pouch
What is a hip pointer?
What type of infection can give rise to a psoas abcess? Which joint can the bursae communicate with leading to infection in this joint as well?
Retroperitoneal pyrogenic infection from the lung
Can get into hip joint due to communicating bursae
Deterioration of the patellar articular cartilage due to excessive wear.
Chondromalacia patellae (runner’s knee)
What form the three boundaries of the femoral triangle?
Sartorius (laterally), Inguinal ligament (superiorly), and adductor longus (medially)
What forms the roof of the femoral triangle?
Fascia lata
What is the name of the opening of the fascia lata in the femoral triangle? What is the other type of fascia that covers it?
Saphenous opening or hiatus
Covered by cribiform fascia
What is the Mneumonic used to describe the contents of the femoral triangle lateral?
NAVEL
femoral Nerve, femoral Artery, femoral Vein, Empty space, Lacunar ligament
What is the name of the only femoral nerve branch that crosses the knee joint?
Saphenous N.
The deep femoral artery doesn’t supply the leg below the thigh. How does the femoral artery cross the knee?
The popliteal fossa
What forms the roof of the popliteal fossa?
Crural fossa (continuous with fascia lata)
What forms the anterior boundary of the popliteal fossa?
The capsule of the knee joint
Answer the ?
To prevent strangulation of the vessels and nerves when assuming a squatting position
What does the femoral artery become once it exits the hiatus in the abductor magnus?
Popliteal artery
What vein joins into the popliteal vein within the fossa?
Small saphenous vein
What is the origin and insertion of the politeus muscle?
Upper posterior tibia to lateral epicondyle
When the sciatic nerve splits in the fossa, it gives rise to which two nerves?
Tibial N. and Fibular N.
What does the tibial nerve immediately form after the sciatic splits into it?
multiple muscle branches (genicular nerves)
What nerve is formed by twigs of both the tibial n. and the fibular n?
Sural N.
With IED explosions in war, what can occur within the vascularity resulting in the need for amputation if not identified.
Popliteal hemorrage due to arterial-to-venous fistula
(Popliteal Fistula)
Describe the fascia arrangement around the leg
What is the purpose of having two bones in the leg?
Weight saving
What binds the fibula and tibia together?
Interosseus membrane
What drains the medial side of calf and foot?
Great saphenous v.
What drains the lateral foot and plantar skin?
small saphenous v.
What are the four compartments of the leg?
Posterior, anterior, lateral, and deep
What are three muscles in the anterior compartment of leg?
The possible 4th?
Tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, extensor hallucis longus
4th: fibularis tertius
What are the only two muscles on the dorsal aspect of the foot?
Extensor digitorum brevis and Ex. hallucis brevis
What movement is mediated by the muslce of the anterior compartment of the leg and why?
Dorsiflex for heel strike in normal gait (loss of this results in drop foot)
What nerve runs extremely close to the surface just posterior to the head of the fibula
common fibular n.
What innervates the muscles of the anterior compartment of the leg?
Deep branch of common fibular nerve
What are the two muscles of the lateral comparment of the leg?
fibularis longus and fibularis brevis
What innervates the fibularis longus and brevis of lateral compartment?
superficial branch of common fibular n.
What are the two main muscles of the posterior compartment of the leg?
Gastronemius and soleus
What are the three main muscles of the “deep” posterior compartment?
Tibialis posterior, flexor digitorum longus, and flexor hallicus longus
Describe the tract of flexor hallicus longus.
Describe the tract of the FDL of the leg.
What is the tract of the tibialis posterior?
What anatomical structure is responsible for preventing the ankle extensor tendons from “bowstringing”
The inferior extensor retinaculum
What anatomical structure is responsible for preventing the ankle extensor tendons from “bowstringing” in the medial ankle?
The flexor retinaculum
What is the mnemonic for remembering the order of the three tendons, the nerve, and the vessels at the flexor retinaculum?
Tom, Dick, and “bloody nervous Harry
Tibalis posterior, flexor Digitorum, tibial vessels/nerve and flexor Hallucis longus
What is the function of the gastrocnemius? How many joints does it span?
Flexion against gravity; 2; flexes the ankle during gait acts as a dynamic ligament
What is the function of the soleus? How many joints does it span?
ankle flexion (may be strongest muscle in posterior compartment), 1 joint
Function of Flexor hallicus longus?
flex big toe, “push off” during gait
Function of flexor digitalis longus?
flex lateral four toes
What is the function of the tibialis posterior?
Chief inverter
What is the possible clinical importance of the fascial compartments in the leg?
Which nerve accompanies the anterior tibial artery?
Deep fibular n.
Name this condition
Varicose veins
Name this condition
Muscle compartment syndrome
What type of gait is a result of common fibular nerve injury?
Drop foot gait
What type of bursitis? Inflammation of the superficial and subcutaneous infrapatellar bursae.
Housemaid’s or surfer’s knee
What type of bursitis is a common complaint of long-distance runners and other active sports participants?
Bursitis of the calcaneal tendon
Name this condition
Calcaneal tendon rupture
