Lower limb Flashcards
Where can the femoral artery be felt?
Middle inguinal point
What kind of joint is the hip joint?
Ball and socket synovial
What fractures of the femur are common in the elderly and how do they present?
Neck of femur fracture. Presented by shortened and externally rotated leg.
What are the bones of the lower limb - minus the foot?
Hip bone Femur Patella Tibia Fibula
How are the tibia and fibula joined?
Interosseous ligament
What is the clinical significance of the medial malleolus of the tibia?
Great saphenous vein can be quickly accessed anterior to it
What bones are found in the foot?
Distal, middle and proximal phalanges
tarsals - medial, intermediate and lateral cunieform, cuboid, navicular, talus and calcaneus
Metatarsals
What are the muscle compartments of the thigh?
Anterior, medial and posterior
What are the muscle compartments of the leg?
Anterior, lateral deep and superficial posterior
What are the symptoms of compartment syndrome?
Pain, palor, pulseless and paraesthesia
What is the treatment for compartment syndrome?
Fasciotomy
Anterior compartment of the thigh
Supplied by the femoral artery and femoral nerve.
Composed of the sartorius, ilipsoas and quadriceps muscles
What does the anterior compartment of the thigh do?
Knee extension and hip flexion
What muscles make up the quadriceps?
Rectus femoris
vastus medius
vastus intermedius
vastus lateralis
Medial compartment of the thigh
Supplied by the obturator nerve and profunda femoris/ obturator artery. Composed of the obturator externus, gracilis, adductor magnus, adductor brevis and adductor longus
Posterior compartment of the thigh
Supplied by the sciatic nerve and profunda femoris artery.
Made up of the biceps femoris - long and short head, semimembranosus and semitendinosus
What does the medial compartment of the thigh do?
Adduction of thigh
What does the posterior compartment of the thigh do?
Flexion of knee and extension of hip
Where should an intramuscular injection be given?
Upper lateral quadrant of the gluteal region to avoid damaging the sciatic nerve
What are the muscles of the gluteal region?
Gluteus maximus
Gluteus minimus
Gluteus medius
Gluteus maximus
Thick extensor, assists with lateral rotation. Innervated by inferior gluteal nerve. Located superficially to the gluteus minimus and inferior to the gluteus medius
Gluteus medius
abducts and medially rotates lower limb. Innervated by the superior gluteal nerve. Found superior to the gluteus maximus and minimus
Gluteus minimus
abducts and medially rotates the lower limb. Innervated by the superior gluteus nerve. Found deep to the gluteus maximus
Trendelenburg gait
When there is damage to the superior gluteal nerve, causing weakness of the abductor muscles - gluteus medius and minimus. The opposite side to the side affected drops when walking.
Duchenne’s gait
Pelvic tilt
Anterior compartment of the leg
Supplied by the deep fibular nerve and anterior tibial artery. Composed of:
extensor hallucis longus, extensor digitorum longus, tibialis anterior and fibularis tertius
What does the anterior compartment of the leg do?
Dorsiflexion of foot and inversion of foot at ankle joint
What happens when there is damage to the common fibular/ peroneal nerve?
Foot drop as the muscles of the anterior compartment are paralysed because the deep fibular nerve arises from the peroneal nerve.
Saphenous nerve?
Supplies a medial portion of the leg
Lateral compartment of the leg
Supplied by the superficial fibular nerve and fibular artery. Composed of the fibularis longus and brevis
What does the lateral compartment of the leg do?
Eversion of the foot
Superficial posterior compartment of the leg
Supplied by the tibial nerve and posterior tibial artery. Composed of the gastrocnemius, soleus and plantaris
What does the superficial posterior compartment of the leg do?
Plantarflexion at ankle joint
Deep posterior compartment of the leg
Supplied by the tibial nerve and posterior tibial artery. Composed of the flexor digitorum longus, flexor hallucis longus, tibialis posterior and popliteus
Role of popliteus
laterally rotates the femur, unlocking knee joint, allowing flexion
Role of flexor hallucis longus
flexes big toes
Role of flexor digitorum longus
flexes lateral 4 toes
Role of tibialis posterior
Inverts and plantar flexes the foot
Sciatica
Pain in the buttocks or legs that is caused by the sciatic nerve becoming compressed or irritated.
What sensation does the femoral nerve supply?
Anterior thigh and medial leg
What sensation does the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve supply?
Lateral thigh
What sensation does the sciatic nerve supply
All of the posterior thigh and leg, anterior leg and foot - except medial part of leg
Myotome for hip flexion
L2
Myotome for knee extension
L3
Myotome for ankle dorsiflexion
L4
Myotome for great toes extension
L5
Myotome for ankle plantar flexion/ eversion/ hip extension
S1
Arterial supply of the lower limb
Abdominal aorta > common iliac > external iliac > femoral > popliteal > anterior tibial > fibular and posterior tibial arteries. Anterior tibial becomes dorsalis pedis artery in foot. Posterior tibial artery enters through tarsal tunnel and splits into lateral and medial plantar arteries
Deep veins of the lower limb
Veins from dorsal arch form anterior tibial vein.
On plantar foot medial and lateral plantar veins arise and combine to form the posterior tibial and fibular veins > popliteal vein > femoral vein > external iliac > common iliac > inferior vena cava
Superficial veins of the lower limb
great saphenous vein from dorsal venous arch - into femoral vein
small saphenous from dorsal venous arch - empties into popliteal vein
What forms the femoral triangle?
Iliopsoas, sartorius, adductor longus, pectineus and inguinal ligament