Leg Flashcards
What is found in the popliteal fossa?
Popliteal vessels
The common peroneal and tibial nerves
Small saphenous vein
Anterior tibial compartment syndrome
An ischemic necrosis of the muscles of the anterior compartment of the leg, resulting from compression of the anterior tibial artery and its branches by swollen muscles following excessive exertion. It is accompanied by extreme tenderness and pain on the anterolateral aspect of the leg.
Shin split
A painful condition caused by swollen muscles in the anterior compartment of the leg along the shin bone (tibia), particulary the tibialis anterior muscle, following overexertion.
*Note: It may be a mild form of anterior compartment syndrome
Muscle cramp (“charley horse”)
A sudden, involuntary, painful contaction of muscles of the lower limb. It is caused by muscle fatigue from prolonged sitting, overexertion, dehydration, and depletion or imbalance of salt and minerals as well as poor blood supply to leg muscles. It occurs most commonly in the calf muscles, hamstrings, and quadriceps. The crampt goes away within a few minutes, or it can be treated by a gentle stretch and massage of the cramped muscle, pain relievers, and muscle relaxers
Intermittent claudation
A condition of limping caused by ischemia of the muscles in the lower limbs, chiefly the calf muscles, as seen in occlusive peripheral arterial diseases particularly in the popliteal artery and its branches. The main symptom is leg pain that occurs during walking and intensifies until walking is impossible, but the pain is relieved by rest.
Anterial muscles of the leg
Tibialis anterior
Extensor hallucis longus
Extensor digitorum longus
Peroneus (fibularis) tertius
Tibialis anterior
Origin
Insertion
Nerve
Action
Blood Supply
Origin: Lateral tibial condyle, interosseous membrane
Insertion: First cuneiform, first metatarsal
Nerve: Deep peroneal (fibular)
Action: Dorsiflexes and inverts foot
Blood Supply: Anterior tibial artery
Extensor hallucis longus
Origin
Insertion
Nerve
Action
Blood Supply
Origin: Middle half of anterior surface of fibula, interosseous membrane
Insertion: Base of distal phalanx of big toe
Nerve: Deep peroneal (Fibular)
Action: Extends bitoe, dorsiflexes and inverts foot
Blood Supply: Anterior tibial artery
Extensor digitorum longus
Origin
Insertion
Nerve
Action
Blood Supply
Origin: Laterial tibial condyle, upper two thirds of fibula, interosseous membrane
Insertion: Bases of middle and distal phalanges
Nerve: Deep peroneal (fibular)
Action: Extends toes, dorsiflexes and everts foot
Blood Supply: Anterior tibial artery
Fibularis tertius
Origin
Insertion
Nerve
Action
Blood Supply
Origin: Distal one-third of fibula, interosseous membrane
Insertion: Base of fifth metatarsal
Nerve: Deep peroneal (fibular) nerve
Action: Dorsiflexes and everts foot
Blood Supply: Anterior tibial artery
Lateral muscles of the leg
Peroneus (fibularis) longus
Peroneus (fibularis) brevis
Fibularis longus
Origin
Insertion
Nerve
Action
Blood Supply
Origin: Lateral surface of the prooximal fibula
Insertion: Base of first metatarsal, medial cuneiform
Nerve: Superficial fibular
Action: Everts and plantar flexes foot
Blood Supply: Fibular artery
Fibularis brevis
Origin
Insertion
Nerve
Action
Blood Supply
Origin: Lower lateral side of fibula, intermuscular septa
Insertion: Base of fifth metatarsal
Nerve: Superficial peroneal (fibular)
Action: Everts and plantar flexes foot
Blood Supply: Fibular artery
Supeficial posterior muscles of leg
Gastrocnemius
Soleus
Plantaris
Deep posterior muscles of leg
Popliteus
Flexor hallucis longus
Flexor digitorum longus
Tibialis posterior
Gastrocnemius
Origin
Insertion
Nerve
Action
Blood Supply
Origin:
- Lateral head: Lateral femoral condyles
- Medial head: Medial femoral condyles
Insertion: Posterior aspect of calcaneus via tendon calcaneus
Nerve: Tibial nerve
Action: Flexes knee, plantar flexes foot
Blood Supply: Sural arteries; popliteal artery; superior lateral genicular artery
Soleus
Origin
Insertion
Nerve
Action
Blood Supply
Origin: Upper fibular head, soleal line on tibia
Insertion: Posterior aspect of calcenous via tendo calcaneus
Nerve: Tibial
Action: Plantar flexes foot
Blood Supply: popliteal artery, posterior tibial artery, peroneal artery
Plantaris
Origin
Insertion
Nerve
Action
Blood Supply
Origin: Lower lateral supracondylar line
Insertion: Posterior surface of calcaneus
Nerve: Tibial
Action: Flexes leg, plantar flexes foot
Blood Supply: Sural arteries
Popliteus
Origin
Insertion
Nerve
Action
Blood Supply
Origin: Lateral condyle of femur, politeal ligament
Insertion: Upper posterior side of tibia
Nerve: Tibial
Action: Flexes by unlocking knee and rotates leg medially
Blood Supply: Popliteal artery
Flexor hallucis longus
Origin
Insertion
Nerve
Action
Blood Supply
Origin: Lower two-thirds of fibula, interosseous membrane, intermuscular septa
Insertion: Base of distal phalanx of big toe
Nerve: Tibial
Action: Plantar flexes foot, flexes distal phalanx of big toe
Blood Supply: Peroneal artery (peroneal branch of the posterior tibial artery)
Flexor digitorum longus
Origin
Insertion
Nerve
Action
Blood Supply
Origin: Middle posterior aspect of tibia
Insertion: Distal phalanges of lateral four toes
Nerve: Tibial
Action: Flexes lateral four toes, plantar flexes foot
Blood Supply: Posterior Tibial artery
Tibialis posterior
Origin
Insertion
Nerve
Action
Blood Supply
Origin: Interosseous membrane, upper parrts of tibia and fibula
Insertion: Tuberosity of navicular, sustentacula tali, three cuneiforms, cuboid, bases of metarsals 2-4
Nerve: Tibial
Action: Plantar flexes and inverts foot
Blood Supply: Posterior tibial artery
Restless leg syndrome
A sense of restless unpleasant discomfort inside the legs when sitting or lying down, accompanied by an irresistible urge to move the legs. Movements like walking brings temporary relief, but it is worse at rest and in the evening or at night. Its cause is unknown.
Knee-jerk reflex
Occurs when the patellar ligament is tapped, resulting in a sudden contraction of the quadriceps femoris. It tests the L2 to L4 spinal (fermoral nerves) by activating muscle spindle in the quadriceps. Both afferent and efferent impulses are transmitted in the femoral nerve.
