Anatomy 32 Flashcards
What are the 3 ridges that the posterior aspect of the ilium bears?
Anterior, posterior and inferior gluteal lines
What are the 2 notches that the posterior ilium and ischium bears?
Greater and lesser sciatic notches
What ligaments close the greater and lesser sciatic notches? And what does this form?
Sacrotuberous and sacrospinous ligaments
Forms the greater and lesser sciatic foramina
Where does the ischial spine project from?
Posterior ischium, sacrospinous ligament attaches to it
What is the ischial tuberosity?
Bulky prominence of bone at the posterior aspect of the ischium
What attaches to the ischial tuberosity?
The muscles of the posterior thigh and the sacrotuberous ligament
What is the intertrochanteric crest?
Ridge of bone between the trochanters on the posterior aspect of the femur
Where does the gluteal tuberosity lie?
Just inferior to the trochanters on the posterior aspect of the femur
What are the 4 superficial gluteal muscles?
Gluteus maximus - Most superficial
Gluteus medius
Gluteus minimus
Tensor fascia latae
What are the attachment points of the gluteus maximus?
Most posterior parts of the posterior surface of the ilium, the sacrotuberous ligament and the sacrum
Where do the fibres of the gluteus maximus insert into?
Iliotibial tract, with a smaller proportion attaching onto the gluteal tuberosity
What is the function of the gluteus maximus?
It is an extensor of the hip and is important for standing from a sitting position.
It also acts as a lateral rotator of the hip.
Because it inserts into the iliotibial tract, it stabilises the knee joint
What are the points of attachment of the gluteus medius and minimus?
Anterior parts of the posterior surface of the ilium
What do the gluteus medius and minimus insert onto?
Greater trochanter
What movements do the gluteus medius and minimus execute?
Abduct and medially rotate the hip
What do the gluteus medius and minimus play an important role in?
Normal gait
What happens if the gluteus medius and minimus are weak or paralysed in one limb?
The pelvis tilts to the contralateral side every time the contralateral leg is off the ground, resulting in a limp
What is the tensor fascia latae attached to?
ASIS
Where does the tensor fascia latae insert into?
Iliotibial band, which itself inserts onto the lateral part of the proximal tibia
What are the functions of the tensor fascia latae?
Contraction of the muscle tenses the fascia lata and the iliotibial band.
It stabilises the knee when it is extended and it also flexes the hip joint, but is not a prime mover.
What are the superficial gluteal muscles innervated by?
Gluteal nerves, which leave the sacral plexus in the pelvis via the greater sciatic foramen
What is the gluteus maximus innervated by?
Inferior gluteal nerve
What are the gluteus medius, minimus and tensor fascia latae innervated by?
Superior gluteal nerve
What are the overall functions of the deep gluteal muscles?
Primarily stabilise and laterally rotate the hip joint
What are the 5 deep gluteal muscles?
Piriformis
Superior gemelli
Inferior gemelli
Obturator internus
Quadratus femoris
What is the attachment point of the piriformis?
Anterior surface of the sacrum
What does the piriformis travel through?
Greater sciatic foramen
What does the piriformis insert on?
Greater trochanter
What does the sciatic nerve divide into?
The tibial and common peroneal (common fibular) nerves in the posterior thigh
Where do the superior and inferior gemelli and quadrator femoris arise from?
Ischium
Where does the obturator internus arise from?
Obturator membrane
What are the 4 muscles in the posterior compartment of the thigh?
Semimebranosus
Semitendinosus
Biceps femoris
Hamstring part of the adductor magnus
Which muscles are referred to as the ‘hamstring group’?
Semimebranosus
Semitendinosus
Biceps femoris
What are the ‘hamstring group’ muscles attached to proximally?
Ischial tuberosity
What movements do the ‘hamstring group’ muscles execute?
Extend the hip
Flex the knee
What are the muscles of the ‘hamstring group’ innervated by?
Tibial nerve
What do the semimebranosus and semitendinosus insert on?
The medial aspect of the proximal tibia
What does the biceps femoris insert onto?
Head of the fibula
Where does the short head of the biceps femoris arise from?
Linea aspera
What movements does the short head of the biceps femoris execute?
Flexes the knee
What is the short head of the biceps femoris innervated by?
Common peroneal nerve
Where does the hamstring part of the adductor magnus arise from?
Ischial tuberosity
Where does the hamstring part of the adductor magnus insert into?
Adductor tubercle of the femur
What movement does the hamstring part of the adductor magnus execute?
Extends the hip
What is the hamstring part of the adductor magnus innervated by?
Tibial nerve
What arteries supply the gluteal muscles?
Superior and inferior gluteal arteries
What artery are the superior and inferior gluteal arteries branches of?
Internal iliac artery
Where do the superior and inferior gluteal arteries leave the pelvis via?
Greater sciatic foramen to enter the gluteal region
What arteries supply the hamstring muscles?
3/4 perforating arteries
Where do the perforating arteries arise from?
Profunda femoris
Where do the perforating arteries travel through to reach the posterior compartment?
Small apertures in the adductor magnus
In what region does the femoral artery become the popliteal artery?
Popliteal fossa
Where do the superior and inferior gluteal veins travel?
They follow the corresponding arteries through the greater sciatic foramen into the pelvis
What do the superior and inferior gluteal veins drain into?
Internal iliac vein
What does the popliteal vein enter the anterior thigh via?
Adductor hiatus
What vein joins the femoral vein?
Great saphenous vein in the femoral triangle
What vein does the femoral vein become continuous with?
External iliac vein
What nerves innervate the gluteal muscles?
Superior and inferior gluteal nerves
What happens to the superior and inferior gluteal nerves when they leave the sacral plexus?
They leave the sacral plexus in the pelvis and travel through the greater sciatic foramen to enter the gluteal region
What spinal nerve fibres is the sciatic nerve composed of?
L4-S3 spinal nerves
What does the sciatic nerve leave the pelvis via?
Greater sciatic foramen and enters the gluteal region inferior to the lower border of piriformis
What nerves is the sciatic nerve composed of?
Tibial nerve and the common peroneal (common fibular) nerve
What muscles does the tibial nerve innervate?
Muscles of the posterior thigh and posterior leg
What muscles does the common peroneal nerve innervate?
Muscles of the anterior and lateral leg
What are the superior boundaries of the popliteal fossa?
- Semimembranosus and semitendinosus medially (‘superomedial’)
- Biceps femoris laterally (‘superolateral’)
What are the inferomedial and inferolateral borders of the popliteal fossa formed by?
The two heads of gastrocnemius, a superficial muscle in the posterior leg
What structures are found in the popliteal fossa?
Popliteal artery
Popliteal vein
Tibial nerve
Common peroneal (fibular) nerve
What does the popliteal artery bifurcate into?
Anterior and posterior tibial arteries
Where does the common peroneal (fibular) nerve travel along?
The superolateral border of the popliteal fossa, alongside the tendon of biceps femoris.
It wraps around the neck of the fibula and then splits into a superficial and a deep branch.
What muscles does the superficial peroneal nerve innervate?
Muscles of the lateral leg
What muscles does deep peroneal nerve innervate?
Muscles of the anterior leg
Where is a common site for the intramuscular injection?
Gluteus maximus, upper outer quadrant of the buttock
What is sciatica?
Describes pain that is felt in the posterior thigh and leg due to compression of nerve roots that contribute to the sciatic nerve (L4 - S3).
What is sciatica most commonly a result of?
Prolapsed (‘slipped’) intervertebral disc between L5 and S1
What is a popliteal artery?
An aneurysm of the popliteal artery may rupture, causing significant bleeding.
In some cases, clot forms within it, occluding blood flow to the leg.
The tissues of the leg become ischaemic and tissue death occurs if flow in the artery is not quickly restored.
