1.5.3 Popliteal Fossa and the Leg

Question 1

What denotes the lateral and medial edge of the popliteal fossa?

Answer 1

The tendons of the hamstring

Question 2

Where do all of the important branches of the femoral nerve orginate and stay? What is the one exception?

Answer 2

The femoral triangle.

The exception: saphenous nerve which supplies the skin of the medial calf

Question 3

What nerve gives sensation to the medial side of the anterior thigh?

Answer 3

Anterior femoral cutaneous nerve

Question 4

What nerve gives sensation to the lateral portion of the thigh?

Answer 4

Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (not a branch off the femoral n.)

Question 5

What are the two main arteries that supply blood to the head of the femur and hip joint?

Answer 5

Medial and lateral circumflex

Question 6

What are the 4 bursae of the patellar joint and their location?

Answer 6

Question 7

Quadriceps tendon bursitis especially effects which patellar bursae?

Answer 7

Suprapatellar pouch

Question 8

What is a hip pointer?

Answer 8

Question 9

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?

Answer 9

Retroperitoneal pyrogenic infection from the lung

Can get into hip joint due to communicating bursae

Question 10

Deterioration of the patellar articular cartilage due to excessive wear.

Answer 10

Chondromalacia patellae (runner’s knee)

Question 11

What form the three boundaries of the femoral triangle?

Answer 11

Sartorius (laterally), Inguinal ligament (superiorly), and adductor longus (medially)

Question 12

What forms the roof of the femoral triangle?

Answer 12

Fascia lata

Question 13

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?

Answer 13

Saphenous opening or hiatus

Covered by cribiform fascia

Question 14

What is the Mneumonic used to describe the contents of the femoral triangle lateral?

Answer 14

NAVEL

femoral Nerve, femoral Artery, femoral Vein, Empty space, Lacunar ligament

Question 15

What is the name of the only femoral nerve branch that crosses the knee joint?

Answer 15

Saphenous N.

Question 16

The deep femoral artery doesn’t supply the leg below the thigh. How does the femoral artery cross the knee?

Answer 16

The popliteal fossa

Question 17

What forms the roof of the popliteal fossa?

Answer 17

Crural fossa (continuous with fascia lata)

Question 18

What forms the anterior boundary of the popliteal fossa?

Answer 18

The capsule of the knee joint

Question 19

Answer the ?

Answer 19

To prevent strangulation of the vessels and nerves when assuming a squatting position

Question 20

What does the femoral artery become once it exits the hiatus in the abductor magnus?

Answer 20

Popliteal artery

Question 21

What vein joins into the popliteal vein within the fossa?

Answer 21

Small saphenous vein

Question 22

What is the origin and insertion of the politeus muscle?

Answer 22

Upper posterior tibia to lateral epicondyle

Question 23

When the sciatic nerve splits in the fossa, it gives rise to which two nerves?

Answer 23

Tibial N. and Fibular N.

Question 24

What does the tibial nerve immediately form after the sciatic splits into it?

Answer 24

multiple muscle branches (genicular nerves)

Question 25

What nerve is formed by twigs of both the tibial n. and the fibular n?

Answer 25

Sural N.

Question 26

With IED explosions in war, what can occur within the vascularity resulting in the need for amputation if not identified.

Answer 26

Popliteal hemorrage due to arterial-to-venous fistula (Popliteal Fistula)

Question 27

Describe the fascia arrangement around the leg

Answer 27

Question 28

What is the purpose of having two bones in the leg?

Answer 28

Weight saving

Question 29

What binds the fibula and tibia together?

Answer 29

Interosseus membrane

Question 30

What drains the medial side of calf and foot?

Answer 30

Great saphenous v.

Question 31

What drains the lateral foot and plantar skin?

Answer 31

small saphenous v.

Question 32

What are the four compartments of the leg?

Answer 32

Posterior, anterior, lateral, and deep

Question 33

What are three muscles in the anterior compartment of leg? The possible 4th?

Answer 33

Tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, extensor hallucis longus 4th: fibularis tertius

Question 34

What are the only two muscles on the dorsal aspect of the foot?

Answer 34

Extensor digitorum brevis and Ex. hallucis brevis

Question 35

What movement is mediated by the muslce of the anterior compartment of the leg and why?

Answer 35

Dorsiflex for heel strike in normal gait (loss of this results in drop foot)

Question 36

What nerve runs extremely close to the surface just posterior to the head of the fibula

Answer 36

common fibular n.

Question 37

What innervates the muscles of the anterior compartment of the leg?

Answer 37

Deep branch of common fibular nerve

Question 38

What are the two muscles of the lateral comparment of the leg?

Answer 38

fibularis longus and fibularis brevis

Question 39

What innervates the fibularis longus and brevis of lateral compartment?

Answer 39

superficial branch of common fibular n.

Question 40

What are the two main muscles of the posterior compartment of the leg?

Answer 40

Gastronemius and soleus

Question 41

What are the three main muscles of the "deep" posterior compartment?

Answer 41

Tibialis posterior, flexor digitorum longus, and flexor hallicus longus

Question 42

Describe the tract of flexor hallicus longus.

Answer 42

Question 43

Describe the tract of the FDL of the leg.

Answer 43

Question 44

What is the tract of the tibialis posterior?

Answer 44

Question 45

What anatomical structure is responsible for preventing the ankle extensor tendons from "bowstringing"

Answer 45

The inferior extensor retinaculum

Question 46

What anatomical structure is responsible for preventing the ankle extensor tendons from "bowstringing" in the medial ankle?

Answer 46

The flexor retinaculum

Question 47

What is the mnemonic for remembering the order of the three tendons, the nerve, and the vessels at the flexor retinaculum?

Answer 47

Tom, Dick, and "bloody nervous Harry **T**ibalis posterior, flexor **D**igitorum, tibial vessels/nerve and flexor **H**allucis longus

Question 48

What is the function of the gastrocnemius? How many joints does it span?

Answer 48

Flexion against gravity; 2; flexes the ankle during gait acts as a dynamic ligament

Question 49

What is the function of the soleus? How many joints does it span?

Answer 49

ankle flexion (may be strongest muscle in posterior compartment), 1 joint

Question 50

Function of Flexor hallicus longus?

Answer 50

flex big toe, "push off" during gait

Question 51

Function of flexor digitalis longus?

Answer 51

flex lateral four toes

Question 52

What is the function of the tibialis posterior?

Answer 52

Chief inverter

Question 53

What is the possible clinical importance of the fascial compartments in the leg?

Answer 53

Question 54

Which nerve accompanies the anterior tibial artery?

Answer 54

Deep fibular n.

Question 55

Name this condition

Answer 55

Varicose veins

Question 56

Name this condition

Answer 56

Muscle compartment syndrome

Question 57

What type of gait is a result of common fibular nerve injury?

Answer 57

Drop foot gait

Question 58

What type of bursitis? Inflammation of the superficial and subcutaneous infrapatellar bursae.

Answer 58

Housemaid's or surfer's knee

Question 59

What type of bursitis is a common complaint of long-distance runners and other active sports participants?

Answer 59

Bursitis of the calcaneal tendon

Question 60

Name this condition

Answer 60

Calcaneal tendon rupture