Anatomy of the leg Flashcards
What is the purpose of the fibula?
Provide area for muscle attachments
Interosseous membrane
Connects tibia and fibula
Has an opening to allow blood vessels into lower leg
What nerves provide cutaneous innervation of the leg
- Saphenous nerve
- Medial sural cutaneous nerve
- Lateral sural cutaneous nerve
- Sural communicating nerve
- Sural nerve
- Superficial peroneal nerve
Characteristics of saphenous nerve
- L3, L4 branch of femoral nerve
- Supplies skin on medial, posterior, and anterior part of leg
- Supplies part of the foot
What nerve is the medial sural cutaneous nerve a branch of?
tibial nerve
Characteristics of lateral sural nerve
- Branch of common peroneal nerve
- Supplies skin of lateral leg
- Becomes the sural communicating nerve
Characteristics of sural communicating nerve
- Branch of lateral sural cutaneous nerve
2. Joins with medial sural cutaneous nerve to make the sural nerve
Characteristics of the sural nerve
- Formed by the medial sural nerve and communicating sural nerve
- Gives off branches to the lower leg
- Important for the foot
Characteristics of superficial peroneal nerve
- Branch of common peroneal
- Courses through lateral compartment
- Supplies skin of anterolateral distal leg and dorsum of foot
Small saphenous vein discription
- begins lateral side of foot
- ascends along posterior medial leg
- Drains into popliteal vein posterior to knee joint
What is the crural fascia of the leg?
Deep fascia that is a continuation of the fascia lata
Attached to the anterior and medial borders of tibia
What septa does the crural fascia give rise to?
All attached to the fibula
- anterior intermuscular crural septum
- Posterior intermuscular crural septum
- Transverse intermuscular crural septum
What retinaculum does the crural fascia give rise to?
- Superior extensor retinaculum
- Inferior extensor retinaculum
- Flexor retinaculum
Where is the superior extensor retinaculum?
Goes from medial malleolus to lateral malleolus
What is the purpose of retinaculum?
Stops tendons from bow-stringing across the ankle
Where is the inferior extensor retinaculum?
Y goes across dorsal part of foot
What is the main action of the muscles in the anterior compartment of the leg?
- Dorsiflexors of the ankle
- Extensors of the toes
- Muscles are in the leg but action is in the foot
What muscles are in the anterior compartment of the leg?
- Tibialis anterior
- Extensor compartment:
- Peroneus tertius
The anterior compartment is also called the….?
Dorsiflexor (extensor) compartment
Characteristics of tibialis anterior muscle?
Part of anterior compartment O: tibia and IO membrane I: medial cuneiform and 1st metatarsal bone A: eversion, extend the ankle joint Shin splints occur here Strongest dorsiflexor
What muscles are in the extensor compartment of the anterior compartment?
- Extensor hallucis longus
2. Extensor digitorum longus
Extensor hallucis longus O and I
Part of anterior compartment
O: fibula and IO membrane
I: distal phalanx of 1st toe