Palpable Bony Landmarks of the Lower Limb and their Importance Flashcards
Sub-regions of lower limb
- Gluteal region
- Inguinal region
- Thigh
- Leg
- Ankle
- Foot
Which plane joins the 2 iliac crests?
Supracristal plane
Which landmarks occur at the height of the supracristal plane?
- Vertebral body of L4
- Vertebral level of safe lumbar puncture
- Vertebral level at which epidural anaesthesia is administered
- Landmark for determining sites of bone marrow aspiration
What does the position of the greater trochanter signify?
- Change of direction of bone from neck of femur to shaft
- Position of hip joint
- Outlines capsule of hip joint
- Extra-capsular ligaments of hip
Which way does a hip normally dislocate?
Posteriorly
How does the lower limb appear after a posterior hip dislocation?
- Shorter
- In a fixed position
- Knee + foot rotated inward
What does the anatomical neck of femur join?
- Head of femur
- Shaft of femur
What angle is the neck of the femur to the shaft?
125°
Why can the neck of femur spontaneously fracture in osteoporotic patients?
- Neck transfers body weight from head to shaft of femur
- Therefore constantly under a lot of stress
What conditions are present when the neck of femur is at an angle <120° or >135°
- <120° = coxa vara
- > 135° = coxa valga
2 categories of femoral neck fractures and what each means
- Intracapsular
> Proximal to boundary of joint capsule - Extracapsular
> Distal to boundary of joint capsule
What term is given to a fracture that extends below the lesser trochanter?
Subtrochanteric
What is McBurney’s point?
Point roughly 1/3 distance from ASIS to umbilicus
What does the inguinal ligament attach to?
- ASIS
- Pubic tubercle
What is meralgia paraesthetica and what causes it?
- Painful patch of numbness on side of lateral upper thigh
- Compression of lateral cutaneous nerve of thigh by inguinal ligament as it passes under it
