Neuromuscular anatomy; lymphatic drainage of lower limb

Question 1

What are the there key nerves in the lower limb?

Answer 1

Sciatic
Femoral
Obturator

Question 2

What spinal nerves form the femoral nerve?

Answer 2

ant rami L2, L3 & L4

Question 3

Where does the femoral nerve travel?

Answer 3

originates from lumbar nerve plexus then travels deep to the inguinal ligament and into the femoral triangle

Question 4

What spinal nerves form the obturator nerve?

Answer 4

ant rami L2,3 & 4

Question 5

What is supplied by the femoral nerve?

Answer 5

cutaneous sensory innervation to:
- skin of anteromedial thigh 
- medial knee, leg and foot
Motor innervation to:
- quadriceps femoris 
- pectinous 
- iliacus 
- sartorius

Question 6

Where does the obturator nerve travel?

Answer 6

originated from lumbar nerve plexus travels through opening in obturator membrane and into medial compartment

Question 7

What spinal nerves form the Sciatic nerve?

Answer 7

ant rami L4-S3

Question 8

Where does the sciatic nerve travel?

Answer 8

originates from lumbosacral plexus and travels into gluteal region and normally emerges at piriformis muscle

Question 9

What are the two terminal branches of sciatic nerve?

Answer 9

tibial nerve

common fibular nerve

Question 10

When does the sciatic nerve divide?

Answer 10

just superior to popliteal fossa in the posterior compartment of thigh

Question 11

What does the obturator nerve innervate?

Answer 11

Motor:
- adductor longus & brevis
- Gracilis
- Obturator externus
- ischiocondylar 
Sensory:
- skin of proximal medial thigh, hip joint and knee joint

Question 12

What does the sciatic nerve innervate?

Answer 12

Motor: 
- Biceps femoris 
- semimembranous
- semitendinosus 
adductor Magnus 
Sensory (via branches):
- skin lateral leg, heel, dorsal and plantar foot

Question 13

Where does the fibular nerve travel?

Answer 13

into popliteal fossa and courses laterally (closely related to neck of fibula)
then divides into superficial and deep fibular nerves, superficial fibular remains within lateral compartment and deep fibular travels into anterior

Question 14

What are the two terminal branches of the fibular nerve?

Answer 14

superficial

deep fibular

Question 15

Where does the femoral artery branch from?

Answer 15

external iliac artery

Question 16

What is the main artery in the lower limb?

Answer 16

femoral artery which gives off profound femoris (supplies deep thigh)

Question 17

Where does the popliteal artery travel?

Answer 17

originally the femoral artery once passes through the adductor hiatus becomes popliteal artery which travels into popliteal fossa and terminates into anterior tibial and posterior tibial

Question 18

What are the two terminal branches of the popliteal artery?

Answer 18

anterior and posterior tibial

Question 19

What are the two terminal branches of the popliteal artery?

Answer 19

anterior and posterior tibial arteries

Question 20

What is the venous drainage of the superficial lower limb?

Answer 20

dorsal venous arch
short saphenous vein
great saphenous vein

Question 21

What is the venous drainage of the superficial lower limb?

Answer 21

dorsal venous arch (dorsal foot)
short saphenous vein (post leg)
great saphenous vein (medial leg and medial thigh)

Question 22

What does the short saphenous vein drain into?

Answer 22

popliteal vein within popliteal fossa

Question 23

What lymphatic vessels drain the lower limb?

Answer 23

superficial lymphatic vessels
- accompany saphenous veins
- drain into superficial inguinal lymph nodes > external iliac > some into deep inguinal
deep lymphatic vessels
- accompany deep veins
- drain into popliteal lymph nodes > deep inguinal > external & common iliac