Lower Leg, Ankle, and Foot Flashcards
- What are the bones that the legs contain?
- What do they connect?
- What is the weight-bearing bone that is larger and stronger than the other?
- What is the non-weight bearing bone?
- What are the leg bones connected by?
- tibia, fibula
- connect the knee and ankle
- tibia
- fibula
- interosseous membrane
- The leg is divided into three compartments, what are they?
- What are these compartments formed by?
- anterior, lateral, and posterior compartment
- formed by anterior and posterior intermuscular septa, the interosseous membrane, and the two leg bones
Where can you see stress fractures?
in the shin (tibia) and metatarsals
- What is an area of skin supplied by the branches of a single spinal nerve?
- What do lumbar spinal cord roots supply?
- What do the upper sacral spinal cord roots supply?
- What do the lower sacral spinal cord roots supply?
- dermatome
- anterior and medial lower limb aspects (lumbar)
- posterior lower limb aspects (upper)
- largely confined to perineum (lower)
- What nerve innervates the ankle dorsi-flexors and toe extensors?
- What nerve innervates the ankle plantar-flexors and toe flexors?
- What nerve innervates the foot evertors?
- deep-fibular nerve
- tibial nerve
- superficial fibular nerve
- What is included in the anterior compartment of the lower leg?
- What is included in the lateral compartment of the lower leg?
- What is included in the posterior compartment of the lower leg?
anterior compartment
- deep fibular n territory
- dorsiflexors of ankle + extensors of toes
lateral compartment
- superficial fibular n territory
- evertors of foot
posterior compartment
- tibial n territory
- plantarflexors of ankle + flexors of toes
- What divides the anterior and lateral compartment of lower leg?
- What divides lateral and posterior compartment of lower leg?
- anterior intermuscular septum
- posterior intermuscular septum
Where does the sciatic nerve usually end at and what does it divide into?
- ends at the superior angle of the popliteal fossa
- divides into tibial and common fibular nerves
What is the larger, terminal branch of the sciatic nerve and is the most superficial of the three main central components of the popliteal fossa?
tibial nerve
- What does the tibial nerve give branches to?
- What cutaneous nerve branch does it give off?
- soleus, gastrocnemius, plantaris, and popliteus mm
- medial sural cutaneous n (in popliteal fossa)
What branch of the sciatic nerve leaves the popliteal fossa superficial to the lateral head of the gastrocnemius and winds around the fibular neck, where it is vulnerable to injury?
common fibular n
- What cutaneous nerve branch does the common fibular nerve give off?
- What does the common fibular nerve branch off into?
- lateral sural cutaneous n
- branches into superficial fibular n and deep fibular n
The most inferior branches of the posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh supply what?
the skin that overlies the popliteal fossa
- What are the muscles in the anterior compartment of the lower leg?
- What is the common action of these muscles?
- What nerve innervates these muscles?
- What artery supplies these muscles?
muscles
- tibialis anterior
- extensor digitorum longus
- extensor hallucis longus
- fibularis tertius
common action
- ankle dorsiflexion
nerve
- deep fibular nerve
artery
- anterior tibial a. (popliteal)
What are the actions of these muscles:
- tibialis anterior
- extensor digitorum longus
- extensor hallucis longus
- fibularis tertius
- ankle dorsiflexion, foot inversion (supports medial arch of foot)
- ankle dorsiflexion, extends lateral 4 digits
- ankle dorsiflexion, extends great toe
- ankle dorsiflexion, foot eversion
What is the origin and insertion of fibularis tertius?
- origin: medial fibular shaft surface and anterior intermuscular septum (b/w extensor digitorum longus and tibialis anterior)
- insertion: dorsal surface of base of 5th metatarsal
All the muscles in the anterior compartment are associated to (…) and to the (…) aspect of the leg
- interosseous membrane
- lateral aspect
- What does the superficial fibular nerve give off?
- What does it innervate?
- dorsal digital nerves
- lateral compartment + cutaneous innervation
- What does the deep fibular nerve innervate?
- What is the hallmark in determining if deep fibular nerve is injured?
- anterior compartment
- check b/w 1st and 2nd toe, if numb, there is a deep fibular nerve injury
What does the common fibular nerve innervate?
biceps femoris - short head
The anterior and lateral compartments of the leg and muscles are associated with the (…) of the foot and are innervated by the common fibular part of the sciatic nerve
dorsal surface
- What muscles are located in the lateral compartment of the leg?
- What are the common actions of these muscles?
- What innervates these muscles?
muscles
- fibularis longus
- fibularis brevis
common actions
- foot evertors
innervation
- superficial fibular nerve
What muscles evert the foot and weakly plantarflex the ankle?
- fibularis longus
- fibularis brevis
- Which muscle supports the medial longitudinal arch of the foot?
- What muscle supports the transverse arch of the foot?
- tibialis anterior
- fibularis longus
- What is the distal attachment of the fibularis longus?
- What is the distal attachment of the fibularis brevis?
- base of 1st metatarsal + medial cuneiform
- dorsal surface of tuberosity of base of 5th metatarsal
What muscle does the same actions as the fibularis longus and brevis but is just in a different compartment?
fibularis tertius
What is the pattern of the anterior leg muscles from superficial to deep?
- tibialis anterior
- extensor digitorum longus
- extensor hallucis longus
- fibularis tertius
- Fracture to the 5th metatarsal can result in injury to what muscle?
- What runs between the fibula and tibia to attach to the 5th metatarsal?
- fibularis tertius
- fibularis tertius
- What muscles act to invert the foot? Associated nerves?
- What muscles act to evert the foot? Associated nerves
inversion
- tibialis posterior (tibial n.)
- tibialis anterior (deep fibular n.)
eversion
- fibularis longus and brevis (superficial fibular n.)
- fibularis tertius (deep fibular n.)
- If you have a fibula neck fracture, what nerve can be injured?
- If this nerve is damaged, what condition can develop?
- What areas would you have sensory loss if this nerve was damaged?
- common fibular n
- foot drop
- anterior and lateral sides of legs, dorsum of foot and toes, medial side of big toe
- What is usually a common fibular nerve injury that results in someone not being able to dorsiflex?
- What are the compensating mechanisms for this condition?
- foot drop (steppage gate)
- waddling gate or swing-out gate
What actions are associated with the tibial nerve?
- ankle plantar flexion
- toe flexion
- What compartment does the tibial nerve innervate?
- What muscles are included in this compartment?
- What arteries supple the posterior and lateral leg compartment?
- posterior compartment
muscles - superficial: gastrocnemius, soleus, plantaris
- deep: popliteus, flexor digitorum longus, flexor hallucis longus, tibialis posterior
arteries - posterior tibial a
- fibular a
- What is the common distal attachment of the superficial posterior leg muscles?
- innervation?
- posterior surface of calcaneus vis calcaneal tendon
- tibial n
What are the actions of these muscles:
- gastrocnemius
- soleus
- plantaris
- ankle plantarflexion when knee is extended; raises heel when walking; flexes knee joint
- ankle plantarflexion; steadings leg on foot
- weakly assists gastrocnemius in ankle plantarflexion; function mainly proprioceptive
What are the distal attachments of these muscles:
- popliteus
- flexor hallucis longus
- flexor digitorum longus
- tibialis posterior
What are they innervated by?
distal attachments
- posterior tibia superior to soleal line
- base of distal phalanx of big toe
- bases of distal phalanges of lateral four digits
- tuberosity of navicular, cuneiforms, cuboid, bases of 2-4th metatarsals
innervation
- tibial n
What are the actions of these muscles:
- popliteus
- flexor hallucis longus
- flexor digitorum longus
- tibialis posterior
- unlocks knee; weakly flexes knee; may medially rotate tibia
- flexes big toe; weak ankle plantarflexion; supports medial longitudinal arch of foot
- flexes lateral four digits; ankle plantarflexion; supports longitudinal arches of foot
- ankle plantarflexion; foot inversion; supports medial longitudinal arch of foot
What is the deepest muscle in the posterior compartment of the leg?
tibialis posterior
What does the popliteal artery give off?
- anterior and posterior tibial artery
- What sensation does the tibial nerve provide?
- What can you check for the function of the tibial n.?
- How do you test the function of the tibial n.?
- bottom of foot, back or lower leg
- you can check motor, sensory, and reflex
- have to see if they can push down on the bottom of their foot, plantar flexion
What does the Achilles tendon reflex test show?
the function of the tibial n - plantarflexion
- What muscles act to do dorsiflexion andtoe extension? What is the associated innervation?
- What muscles act to do plantar flexion and toe flexion? What is the associated innervation?
dorsiflexion/extension
- tibialis anterior
- extensor hallucis longus
- extensor digitorum longus
- fibularis tertius
deep fibular nerve
plantar flexion/flexion
- gastrocnemius
- soleus
- plantaris
- tibialis posterior
tibial nerve
- What artery supplies the anterior compartment of the leg?
- What artery supplies the lateral compartment of the leg?
- What artery supplies the posterior compartment of the leg?
- anterior tibial artery
- fibular artery (branch of posterior tibial a)
- posterior tibial artery (branch of popliteal a) w/ some supply from fibular artery
What artery passes through a gap in the interosseous membrane between the tibia and fibula to supply blood to the leg and foot?
anterior tibial artery
Superficial venous drainage of the dorsum of the foot is to the (…) of the foot. Blood from the medial end of the dorsal venous arch enters the (…), which ascends the leg anterior to the medial malleolus, passes through the medial part of the leg and thigh, and drains into the (…) at the femoral triangle
- dorsal venous arch
- great saphenous vein
- femoral vein