Lower Limb Flashcards
What type of joint is the hip joint?
Ball in socket, synovial joint
What are the ligaments of the hip joint?
Intracapsular:
- Ligament of the head of the femur running from the acetabular fossa to the fovea of the femur.
Extracapsular:
- Ileo-femoral (Y shape): from ASIS to intertrochanteric line.
- Pubofemoral (Triangular shape): from superior pubic rami to intertrochanteric line.
- Ischiofemoral (spiral shape): from the ischial body to the greater trochanter
What is the vascular supply to the hip joint?
Small artery within the intracapsular ligament of the femoral head.
Medial and lateral circumflex arteries which are branches of the profunda femoris.
What attaches to the greater trochanter?
The ischiofemoral ligament.
Muscles:
- Piriformis
- Gluteus medius and minimus
- Vastus lateralis
- Gemelli
- Obturator internus
What muscle attaches to the lesser trochanter?
Iliopsoas
Where does the quadratus femoris attach to?
The intertrochanteric crest (on the posterior aspect of the proximal femur)
Where does the gluteus maximus muscle attach on the femur?
The gluteal tuberosity, proximal to the linea alba
Which condyle on the femur is more prominent and what is the clinical significance of this?
The lateral condyle is more prominent to prevent lateral subluxation of the patella.
What is the fascia lata?
This is a sheet of tough fibrous tissue in the hip area which lies deep to the skin.
It originates at the iliac crest, sacrum and coccyx, inguinal ligament and the ischial tuberosity.
It has a lateral thickening called the IT band which receives a tendon from the gluteus maximus.
It attaches to the femoral and tibial condyles, patella, head of fibula and tibial tuberosity and then becomes the deep fascia of the leg.
What is the opening in the fascia lata called?
This is the saphenous opening (where the saphenous vein enters)
What is the IT band and what are its function?
This is a longitudinal thickening of the fascia lata which is strengthened by additional fibres of the glut max.
Functions:
- Movement (extensor, abductor and lateral rotator)
- Compartmental division (due to the intermuscular septum)
- Forms a muscular sheath around the TFL.
What is the TFL? What is the innervation and insertions?
The tensor fascia lata is a muscles which acts as a flexor, abductor and internal rotator.
It is innervated by the superior gluteal nerve.
It originates at the iliac crest and inserts onto the IT band.
It acts to limit the outward expansion and reduces the force required to move the hip.
What are the origins/insertions, actions and innervations of the gluteus maximus?
Origin: Surface of the ileum, sacrum and coccyx.
Insertion: the gluteal tuberosity and some fibres into the IT band
Innervation: Inferior gluteal nerve
Action: hip extensor, assists in lateral rotation.
What are the origins/insertions, actions and innervations of gluteus medius?
Origin: surface of the ileum.
Insertion: Greater trochanter
Innervation: superior gluteal nerve
Action: abduct and medially rotate. A key pelvis stabiliser.
What are the origins/insertions, actions and innervations of gluteus minimus?
Origin: ileum
Insertion: greater trochanter
Innervation: superior gluteal nerve
Action: pelvic stabiliser, abductor and medial rotator.
What is the function of the superior gluteal nerve and what sign may you see if it is damaged?
Innervates the gluteus medius and minimus, which have a role in stabilising the pelvis during locomotion. If the nerve is damages then a Trendelenburgs sign develops.
What are the origins/insertions, actions and innervations of piriformis?
Origin: Anterior sacrum
(through greater sciactic foramen)
Insertion: Greater trochanter
Innervation: Nerve to piriformis.
Action: abducts and laterally rotates hip.
What are the origins/insertions, actions and innervations of obturator internus?
Origin: pubis and ischium at the obturator foramen.
Passes via the lesser sciatic foramen
Insertion: Greater trochanter
Innervation: Nerve to obturator
Action: Laterally rotates
What are the origins/insertions, actions and innervations of gemmeli?
Origin: The superior originates from the ischial spine and the inferior from the ischial tuberosity (either side of the obturator internus)
Insertion: Greater trochanter
Innervation: superior is the nerve to the obturator and inferior is the nerve to the quadratus femoris.
Action: Lateral rotation and abduction.
What are the origins/insertions, actions and innervations of quadratus femoris?
Origin: Ischial tuberosity.
Insertion: The intertrochanteric crest
Innervation: Nerve to quadratus femoris
Action: Acts to laterally rotate the hip.
What are the differences between the male and female pelvis?
Male:
- thicker and heavier
- deep false pelvis
- narrow
- heart shaped inlet
- small outlet
- suprapubic angle <70
- large acetabulum
- Oval obturator foramen
- large acetabulum
- narrow sciatic notch.
Female:
- thinner and lighter
- shallow false pelvis
- wide and oval shaped inlet
- large outlet
- suprapubic angle >80
- small acetabulum
- triangular obturator foramen
What structures pass through the greater sciatic foramen?
Nerves: superior gluteal, inferior gluteal, sciatic nerve, posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh, pudendal nerve, nerve to quadratus femoris, nerve to obturator
Arteries: superior gluteal and inferior gluteal, internal pudendal
Muscles: piriformis
What are the boundaries of the greater sciatic foramen?
Superior - ASIS
Posteromedial - sacrotuberous ligament
Anterolateral - greater sciatic notch of the ileum
Inferior - sacrospinous ligament/ischial spine.
What are the boundaries of the lesser sciatic foramen?
Superior: The sacrospinous ligament and the ischial spine
Anterior: ischial spine, lesser sciatic notch and ischial tuberosity
Posterior: sacrotuberous ligament
What are the contents of the lesser sciatic foramen?
Internal pudendal artery and vein
Pudendal nerve
Nerve to the obturator internus
Where does the lumbar plexus lie?
Within the psoas muscle?
Which nerve roots contribute to the lumbar plexus?
L1-L4
What are the branches of the lumbar plexus?
Iliohypogastric (L1): internal oblique and transversus abdominis, provides sensation to posterolateral gluteal skin
Ilio-inguinal (L1): innervates internal oblique and transversus abdominus, and sensory to the penis root and scrotum
Genitofemoral (L1-2): sensory to the scrotum/labia and upper thigh, motor to cremasteric muscle
Lateral Cutaneous (L2-L3): sensory to the lateral thigh
Obturator (L2-L4): motor and sensory to the medial thigh
Femoral (L2-L4): motor to anterior thigh, sensory to anterior thigh and medial leg.
Which nerve roots form the sacral plexus?
L4-S4
Where is the sacral plexus located?
On the posterior pelvic wall, anterior to the piriformis. The branches either remain in the pelvis or exit via the greater sciatic foramen.
What are the branches of the sacral plexus?
Superior gluteal (L4-S1): glut med and min, TFL
Inferior gluteal (L5-S2): glut max
Sciatic (L4-S3): posterior thigh and leg muscles, lateral leg muscles, sensation to posterolateral leg and foot.
Posterior Femoral cutaneous (S1-S3): sensation to posterior thigh and perineaum
Pudendal (S2-4): skeletal muscles of the external urethral and anal sphincter and levator ani, and sensation to the clitoris, penis and perineum
+ nerve to piriformis, nerve to obturator internus and nerve to quadratus femoris.
What are the roots of the sciatic nerve?
L4-S3 (from the lumbosacral plexus)
What is the course of the sciatic nerve?
Leaves pelvis via the greater sciatic foramen (inferior to piriformis).
Crosses the posterior surface of the gemelli, obturator internus and quadratus femoris and passes into the posterior thigh deep to the long head of the biceps.
In the thigh gives off branches to innervate the hamstring and the hamstring portion of the adductor magnus.
It terminates by branching into the tibial and common peroneal nerves.
What are the functions of the sciatic nerve?
Motor: Posterior compartment of the thigh, hamstring potion of the adductor magnus.
Also innervates the lower leg via the tibial and common peroneal branches.
Sensory: none directly but supplies the posterolateral leg and the foot via its terminal branches.
What are the boundaries of the femoral triangle?
Medial: adductor longus
Lateral: sartorius
Superior: inguinal ligament
Floor: iliopsoas muscle, pectineus and adductor longus
Roof: fascia lata