Lower Limbs

Question 1

What are the 5 ligaments of the hip joint?

Answer 1

• Ligament of the femoral head (intracapsular)
• Transverse acetabular ligament (stems from acetabular labrum)

(extracapsular)
• Iliofemoral ligament
• Pubofemoral ligament
• Ischiofemoral ligament

Question 2

What movements is gluteus medius and minimus involved in?

Answer 2

• Internal rotation
• Abduction
• Extension (medius)
• Flexion

Question 3

What are the tarsals of the foot?

Answer 3

• Calcaneus
• Talus (articulates with calcaneus)
• Cuboid (articulates with calcaneus)
• Navicular (more medial)
• Medial, intermediate and lateral cuneiform

Question 4

What movement occurs at the talocalcaneonavicular joint?

Answer 4

Eversion and inversion of the foot

Question 5

What movements occur at the metatasophalangeal joints?

Answer 5

Flexion, extension, abduction, adduction and circumduction of the foot

Question 6

What is the hallux?

Answer 6

Big toe (proximal + distal phalanges)

Question 7

What are the key superficial muscles of the pelvic girdle of interest

Answer 7

• Gluteus maximus
• Gluteus medius
• Gluteus minimus
• Tensor fascia latae

Question 8

What is the function and innervation of the gluteus maximus?

Answer 8

• Main extensor of the thigh
• Assists in lateral rotation
• Innervation: inferior gluteal nerve

Question 9

Which nerve innervates the gluteus medius and minimus?

Answer 9

Superior gluteal nerve

Question 10

What is the function, position and innervation of the tensor fascia latae?

Answer 10

• Abducts and medially rotates the thigh
• From ASIS, then inserting into iliotibial tract (like some fibres of gluteus maximus)
• Innervation: superior gluteal nerve

Question 11

What are the deep muscles of the pelvic girdle and their function?

Answer 11

• Piriformis
• Obturator internus
• Superior and inferior gamelli
• Quadratus femoris
• Laterally rotate and weakly abduct the thigh
• Stabilise the femoral head within the acetabulum

Question 12

What are the muscles in the anterior compartment of the thigh and their innervation?

Answer 12

• Iliopsoas (merging of iliacus and psoas major)
• Pectineus
• Sartorius
• Quadriceps femoris (vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, rectus femoris)

All innervated by the Femoral nerve

Question 13

What is the function of the muscles of the anterior compartment of the thigh?

Answer 13

• Iliopsoas - flexion and lateral rotation of the thigh
• Pectineus - flexion and adduction of hip joint
• Sartorius - flexion, lateral rotation and weak abduction of the thigh
• Quadriceps femoris - flexion at hip joint and extension at knee joint

Question 14

What are the muscles in the medial compartment of the thigh, their function, innervation + main blood supply?

Answer 14

Anterior branch of obturator nerve
• Gracillis - adduction of thigh and flexion of leg
• Adductor brevis - adduct the thigh
• Adductor longus - adduct the thigh

Posterior branch of obturator nerve
• Adductor magnus - adduct the thigh (adductor part), flexion, extension (hamstring part = sciatic nerve)
• Obturator externus - adduction and lateral rotation of thigh

Obturator artery supplies these muscles

Question 15

What are the muscles of the posterior compartment of the thigh, their functions and innervation?

Answer 15

• Biceps femoris
• Semitendinosus
• Semimembranosus

aka. hamstrings, they:
• Extend the thigh at the hip joint
• Flex the leg at the knee joint

When the knee is flexed:
• Biceps femoris externally rotates the leg
• Semitendinosus and semimembranosus internally rotates the leg

Innervation: sciatic nerve

Question 16

What are the muscles of the anterior compartment of the leg, their functions and innervation + blood supply?

Answer 16

• Tibialis anterior
• Extensor digitorum longus
• Extensor hallucis longus

• Collectively dorsiflex and invert the foot at the ankle joint (standing on heels)

• Innervation: deep fibular nerve
• Blood supply: anterior tibial artery

Question 17

What innervates the posterior compartment of the leg?

Answer 17

Tibial nerve (terminal branch of sciatic nerve)

Question 18

What are the superficial muscles of the posterior compartment of the leg and their functions?

Answer 18

• Plantaris
• Gastrocnemius
• Soleus
• All join to form the calcaneal tendon - plantar flexion
• Attached to the femur - flexion of the knee joint

Question 19

What are the deep muscles of the posterior compartment of the leg and their functions?

Answer 19

• Popliteus - rotates the femur on the tibia
• Tibialis posterior - inverts and plantarflexes the foot
• Flexor hallucis longus - flexion of hallux
• Flexor digitorum longus - flexion of lateral 4 digits

Question 20

What are the muscles of the lateral compartment of the leg, their functions and innervation?

Answer 20

• Fibularis longus
• Fibularis brevis
• Eversion of the foot
• Innervation: peroneal nerve

Question 21

What are the borders of the femoral triangle?

Answer 21

• Inguinal ligament
• Medial border of sartorius
• Medial border of adductor longus

Question 22

Which nerve segments does the knee reflex test?

Answer 22

L3, 4 (femoral nerve)

Question 23

Which nerve segments does the ankle reflex test?

Answer 23

S1, 2

Question 24

What are the borders of the popliteal fossa?

Answer 24

• Superomedial - semimembranosus
• Superolateral - biceps femoris
• Inferomedial - medial head of gastrocnemius
• Inferolateral - lateral head of gastrocnemius and plantaris