Lower Limb 2 - Gross Anatomy Flashcards
Nerves of lower limb Arteries of lower limb Veins and lymphatics of lower limb
What forms the lumbar plexus?
Anterior rami of spinal nerves L1 - L4
What 3 large nerves arise from the lumbar plexus?
Lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh, femoral nerve and obturator nerve
What does the femoral nerve innervate?
Anterior thigh muscles (also sensory fibres over anterior thigh, anteromedial leg and ankle)
What does the femoral nerve pass deep to?
Inguinal ligament
What does the lateral cutaneous nerve innervate?
Lateral thigh (sensory fibres)
What does the obturator nerve innervate?
Medial thigh muscles (also sensory fibres to medial thigh)
What does the obturator nerve pass through?
Pierces obturator membrane to pass through obturator foramen
Spinal roots of femoral nerve?
L2, 3 and 4
Spinal roots of obturator nerve?
L2, 3 and 4
Spinal roots of lateral cutaneous nerve?
L1 and 2
What forms the sacral plexus?
Inferior portion of lumbar plexus (lumbosacral trunk) continues to pelvis and joins anterior rami of sacral nerves —> forms sacral plexus
L4 to S4
What does the sacral plexus innervate in general?
- muscles forming walls + floors of pelvic cavity
- muscles of gluteal region
- muscles of perineum
- muscles of post. thigh (hamstrings)
- all muscles of leg and foot
What is the largest nerve in the human body?
Sciatic nerve
Spinal roots of sciatic nerve?
L4 to S3
What 2 nerves form the sciatic nerve?
Tibial nerve and common peroneal nerve
What does the tibial nerve innervate?
Muscles of posterior thigh, posterior leg, and foot
What does the common fibular/peroneal nerve innervate ?
Innervates lateral and anterior compartments of leg
What 2 other major nerves arise from the sacral plexus?
Superior and inferior gluteal nerves
What does the superior gluteal innervate?
2 of 3 gluteal muscles and tensor fasciae latae
What does the inferior gluteal nerve innervate?
Gluteus maximus muscle - motor and sensory
Where do arteries of the lower limb arise from?
the pelvis
What does the common iliac artery split into?
external and internal iliac arteries
Where does the obturator artery arise from?
internal iliac artery
What does the obturator artery supply?
medial compartment of thigh
Where does the femoral artery arise from?
direct continuation of external iliac artery
What does the femoral artery pass underneath?
the inguinal ligament
What does the femoral artery have branches to?
numerous branches to perineum, hip, thigh, and knee
Where does the deep femoral artery arise from and what does it supply?
femoral artery, supplies hip and thigh
What does the femoral artery pass through in the distal thigh?
adductor hiatus of adductor magnus muscle
What does the femoral artery become when it passes the posterior aspect of the knee?
popliteal artery
When does the popliteal artery divide?
just inferior to the knee
What does the popliteal artery divide into?
anterior and posterior tibial arteries
What does the posterior tibial artery also give rise to?
small fibular artery
Where does the fibular artery course?
in lateral compartment of the leg
What does the anterior tibial artery form in the foot?
anastomosis around the ankle joint
What does the anterior tibial artery continue as on the dorsum of the foot?
dorsalis pedis artery
What forms the major blood supply to the muscles of the sole of the foot?
posterior tibial artery
What does the posterior tibial artery pass inferior to when it courses to the foot?
inferior to medial malleolus
What does the posterior tibial artery divide into at the foot?
medial and lateral plantar arteries
What does the medial plantar artery divide into?
superficial and deep branches
What does the lateral plantar form?
a deep plantar arch and anastomoses with arteries on the dorsum of the foot
The lower limb is drained by a set of…?
deep and superficial veins
What do the veins of the lower limb contain?
valves - they help (largely by action of adjacent muscle contraction) to return venous blood to the heart against gravity
What are the major veins of the deep set of veins? (think arteries)
- posterior tibial
- anterior tibial
- fibular
- popliteal
- femoral
- parallel the arteries*
What does the posterior tibial vein drain?
sole of the foot and medial ankle, superiorly up leg, paralleling posterior tibial artery in posterior compartment of the leg
What is the course of the anterior tibial vein?
begins as dorsalis pedis vein on the dorsum of the foot and parallels the anterior tibial artery in the anterior compartment of the leg
What is the course of the fibular vein?
small vein that parallels the artery of the same name in the lateral compartment of the leg and drains into the posterior tibial vein
What is the course of the popliteal vein?
lies behind the knee and is formed by the anterior and posterior tibial veins
What is the course of the femoral vein?
popliteal vein becomes femoral vein in the distal thigh and then the femoral vein drains deep to the inguinal ligament to become the external iliac vein in the pelvis
How are the superficial veins of the lower limb connected to the deep set of veins?
communicating veins
What are major veins of the superficial set of veins?
dorsal venous arch, small saphenous, great saphenous
What does the dorsal venous arch drain blood from?
drains blood from the foot into the small and large saphenous veins at the lateral and medial aspects of the ankle, respectively
What is the course of the small saphenous vein?
courses superiorly in the subcutaneous tissue of the calf and then dives deeply to drain into the popliteal vein behind the knee
What is the course of the great saphenous vein?
courses superiorly from the medial side of the ankle to run up the medial leg and thigh, draining into the femoral vein just inferior to the inguinal ligament
What is the great saphenous vein analogous with in the upper limb?
the cephalic vein
What is the small saphenous vein analogous with in the upper limb?
basilic vein of the upper limb
