Lower Extremity Nerves and Vessels

Question 1

Medial plantar artery

Answer 1

Derived from: posterior tibial artery

Travels along the foot after posterior tibial wraps around the medial malleolus to supply medial foot

Question 2

Lateral plantar artery

Answer 2

Derived from: posterior tibial artery

Travels along the foot after posterior tibial wraps around the medial malleolus to supply the lateral foot

Question 3

Posterior tibial artery

Answer 3

Derived from: popliteal artery
Empties into: lateral and medial plantar arteries
Travels in the deep posterior chamber inferiorally until wrapping around the medial malleolus, has fibular artery branch come off off it

Question 4

Fibular artery

Answer 4

Derived from: posterior tibial artery

Travels laterally from the posterior tibial artery in the lateral chamber of the leg inferiorally

Question 5

Anterior tibial artery

Answer 5

Derived from: popliteal artery
Empties into: dorsal pedal artery
Travels anteriorally through the hole atop the interosseous membrane and then inferiorally in the anterior chamber of the leg

Question 6

Dorsal pedal artery

Answer 6

Derived from: anterior tibial artery

Travels anteriorally along the dorsum of the foot

Question 7

Popliteal artery

Answer 7

Derived from: femoral artery
Empties into: posterior and anterior tibial arteries
Travels inferiorally name changed from the femoral artery at the adductor hiatus at the medial/posterior thigh just above the knee, goes through the popliteal fossa, has genicular arteries come off here, branches just below the knee into posterior and anterrior tibial arteries

Question 8

Genicular arteries

Answer 8

Derived from: popliteal artery

Travel around the knee to supply the area as well as middle genicular with the ACL

Question 9

Femoral artery

Answer 9

Derived from: external iliac artery
Empties into: popliteal artery
Travels from the inguinal canal where the name change occured inferiorally on the anterior side of the leg, with a profunda femoral artery going deep from it, it continues to the adductor hiatus on the medial/posterior thigh where it undergoes another name change

Question 10

Profunda femoral artery

Answer 10

Derived from: Femoral artery
Travels deep from the femoral artery into the deep thigh, has 2 circumflex branches arising from it as well as 3 perforating arteries

Question 11

Medial circumflex branch of femoral artery

Answer 11

Derived from: profunda femoris artery

Travels from 1st branch off profunda femoris travels around the anatomic neck of the femur

Question 12

Lateral circumflex branch of femoral artery

Answer 12

Derived from: profunda femoris artery

Travels from 2nd branch off profunda femoris travels around surgical neck of the femur

Question 13

Perforating arteries

Answer 13

Derived from: profunda femoris artery
Travel posteriorally on the medial side of the thigh, penetrating adductor magnus to supply hamstring muscles posteriorally

Question 14

Descending limb of lateral circumflex branch of femoral artery

Answer 14

Derived from: lateral circumflex branch of femoral artery

Travels inferiorally to supply the vastus lateralus on the lateral side of the thigh

Question 15

Obturator artery

Answer 15

Derived from: Internal iliac artery

Travels inferiorally passing through the obturator foramen (duh) to supply muscles there

Question 16

Sural nerve

Answer 16

Derived from: Tibial nerve

Travels inferiorally and superficially providing cutaneous innervation to the posterior calf

Question 17

Medial plantar nerve

Answer 17

Derived from: (posterior) tibial nerve

Travels following off tibial nerve’s passage around the medial malleolus to supply the medial foot

Question 18

Lateral plantar nerve

Answer 18

Derived from: (posterior) tibial nerve

Travels following off tibial nerve’s passage around the medial malleolus to supply the lateral foot

Question 19

(Posterior) tibial nerve

Answer 19

Derived from: Tibial nerve
Travels inferiorally changing names at the knee in the deep posterior chamber of the leg until wrapping around the medial malleolus

Question 20

Tibial division of sciatic nerve

Answer 20

Derived from: L4-S3
Travels inferiorally around the pyraformis in close tandem with the common fibular division of sciatic nerve until splitting above the popliteal fossa, in which the tibial division enters the deep posterior chamber of the leg

Question 21

Musculocutaneous/superficial fibular nerve

Answer 21

Derived from:Common fibular nerve

Travels inferior lateral into the lateral chamber of the leg where it innervates both muscles and cutaneous area

Question 22

Anterior tibial nerve/deep fibular nerve

Answer 22

Derived from: common fibular nerve

Travels inferior and enters the anterior chamber of the leg

Question 23

Common fibular division of sciatic nerve

Answer 23

Derived from: L4-S3
Travels inferiorally around the pyraformis in close tandem with the tibial division of sciatic nerve until splitting above the popliteal fossa, in which the common fibular division wraps laterally around the knee to the anterior side before dividing into the superficial and deep fibular nerves

Question 24

Great saphenous vein

Answer 24

Travels superiorally from the medial malleolus up the medial part of the knee, then the medial thigh before draining into the femoral vein in the femoral triangle

Question 25

Small saphenous vein

Answer 25

Travels from lateral maleolus posteriorally upward the posterior side of the leg before draining into the popliteal vein at the level of the popliteal fossa