Anatomy - Lower limbs Flashcards
What is the pelvis made of?
- two hip bones (innominate)
- sacrum
What bones make up the leg?
- tibia and fibula
What is the ‘top’ of the foot?
the dorsum
Hip joint
- synovial ball and socket joint (between acetabulum and proximal femur)
- allows: flexion and extension, abduction and adduction, medial and lateral rotation of lower limb
- stable and quite mobile
Knee joint
- synovial hinge joint (between distal femur and tibia)
- allows: flexion and extension
Ankle joint
- synovial hinge joint (between distal ends of tibia and fibula with the talus)
- allows: flexion and extension of the foot
Flexion of the ankle joint is also known as…
- plantarflexion
Extension of the ankle joint is also known as…
- dorsiflexion
The pelvis takes the weight of the body and…
transmits it to the lower limbs
What are the three bones that make up each hip bone?
- pubic bone
- ilium
- ischium
Where do the pubic bone, ilium and ischium fuse?
acetabulum (which is the socket of the hip joint)
Where do the hip bones articulate anteriorly with each other?
pubic symphysis
Where do the hip bones articulate posteriorly with the sacrum?
sacroiliac joints
What do the superior and inferior pubic rami surround?
the obturator foramen
Obturator foramen (in life)
- almost completely closed over by the obturator membrane and muscles attached to it
- a small gap in the membrane and the muscles (the obturator canal), allows vessels and nerves to pass between the pelvis and thigh
What is the obturator canal?
- small gap in membrane and the muscles
- allows blood vessels and nerves to pass between the pelvis and the thigh
Iliac crest
- palpable
- uppermost part of the ilium
ASIS
anterior superior iliac spine
AIIS
anterior inferior iliac spine
Examples of important posterior landmarks
- ischial tuberosity
- ischial spine
- greater and lesser sciatic notches
Ischial tuberosity
Ischial spine
Greater and lesser sciatic notches
Describe the femur
- head (articulates with acetabulum of pelvis to form the hip joint)
- neck (extends from the head)
- shaft
- greater and lesser trochanters (lie distal to the neck)
What are greater and lesser trochanters?
they are sites of muscles attachment
Intertrochanteric line
- lie between greater and lesser trochanters
- on anterior surface of the femur
Trochanteric fossa
- small hollow
- on medial aspect of greater trochanter
Linea aspera
- bony vertical ridge on the posterior aspect of the shaft of the femur
- site of muscle attachment
Medial and lateral femoral condyles
- distal end of femur expanded to form these
- articulate with the proximal tibia at the knee joint
Adductor tubercle
- superior to medial femoral condyle
The Patella
- lies anterior to the knee joint
What are the possible movements of the hip joint?
- flexion and extension
- abduction and adduction
- medial (internal) and lateral (external) rotation
- circumduction
What do muscles in the anterior thigh do to the thigh at the hip joint?
flex the thigh
What do muscles in the medial thigh do to the thigh at the hip joint?
adduct the thigh
What do the muscles in the posterior thigh do to the thigh at the hip joint?
extend the thigh
What are the possible movements of the knee joint?
flexion and extension
What do the muscles in the anterior thigh do to the leg at the knee joint?
- extend the leg
What do the muscles in the posterior thigh do to the leg at the knee joint?
- flex the leg
Fascia lata
- deep fascia
- surrounds the thigh like a sleeve
Iliotibial band (tract)
- thickening of the lateral part of the fascia lata
- attaches to lateral aspect of the proximal tibia and is important for stabilising the knee joints
Intermuscular septa
- extend from the fascia from fascia lata to linea aspera
- separate the thigh into anterior, medial and posterior compartments
How many muscles are in the anterior compartment of the thigh?
- 7
(they primarily act as extensors of the knee, some act on the hip joint)
What are the muscles in the anterior compartment of the thigh innervated by?
- femoral nerve (spinal nerves L2-L4)
What are the muscles in the anterior compartment of the thigh?
- quadriceps femoris (x4)
- sartorius
- iliopsoas
- pectineus
Quadriceps femoris
- prime extensor of the knee
- forms the bulk of the anterior thigh
- converge onto the quadriceps tendon which runs over the patella to insert onto the tibial tuberosity via the patellar ligament
Name the Quadriceps femoris
- Rectus femoris
- Vastus lateralis
- Vastus medialis
- Vastus intermedius
Patellar ligament
distal portion of the common tendon of the quadriceps femoris, which is continued from the patella to the tibial tuberosity
Rectus femoris
- lies in midline of anterior thigh of the anterior thigh
- attached to the AIIS proximally
- can contribute to flexion of the hip as it crosses it
Vastus lateralis
- lies lateral to the rectus femoris
- attaches to the linea aspera on the posterior aspect of the femoral shaft
Vastus medialis
- lies medial to rectus femoris
- attaches to the linea aspera
Vastus intermedius
- lies deep to rectus femoris
- attaches to anterior aspect of femoral shaft
Linea aspera
- prominent longitudinal ridge or crest that runs along the axis of the femur
Sartorius
- lies superficially in anterior thigh
- attaches proximally to ASIS
- inserts on the medial aspect of the proximal tibia
- crosses both the hip and knee joints
- flexes and laterally rotates the hip joint and can flex the knee joint
Ilipsoas
- lies proximally in anterior thigh
- psoas major and iliacus converge via a common tendon onto the lesser trochanter of the femur
- prime flexor of the hip joint