Popliteal Fossa And Posterior Compartment Of Leg

Question 1

What is the upper lateral border of the popliteal fossa?

Answer 1

Biceps femoris

Question 2

What is the upper medial border of the popliteal fossa?

Answer 2

Semitendinosus, Semimembranosus, supplemented by sartorius, Gracilis and the tendon of adductor longus

Question 3

What is the lower lateral boundary of the popliteal fossa?

Answer 3

Lateral head of gastrocnemius and plantaris muscle

Question 4

What is the lower medial boundary of popliteal fossa?

Answer 4

Medial head of gastrocnemius muscle

Question 5

Roof of popliteal fossa

Answer 5

Skin, superficial fascia (containing upper part of small saphenous vein) and deep fascia (known as popliteal fascia).

Question 6

Floor of popliteal fossa

Answer 6

Upper part: popliteal surface of femur, Middle part: capsule of knee joint, Lower part: fascia covering popliteal muscle

Question 7

What are the contents of popliteal fossa?

Answer 7

Popliteal artery and branches, popliteal vein and tributaries, tibial nerve and branches, common fibulae nerve and branches, popliteal lymph nodes and some fat.

Question 8

Where do tibial nerve and posterior tibial vessels pass in the leg?

Answer 8

Posterior compartment between superficial and deep muscles.

Question 9

Superficial muscles of posterior leg (3)

Answer 9

Gastrocnemius-plantaris-soleus (from superficial to deep).

Question 10

Deep muscles of posterior leg (4)

Answer 10

Popliteus, flexor digitorum longus, flexor hallucis longus and tibialis posterior.

Question 11

Gastrocnemius origin and insertion

Answer 11

MEDIAL HEAD: Popliteal surface of femur just above medial femoral condyle. LATERAL HEAD: lateral surface of lateral condyle of femur just posterosuperiorly to lateral condyle. INSERTION- middle of the posterior surface of the calcaneus via tendocalcaneus (tendon with soles)

Question 12

Gastrocnemius action and innervation

Answer 12

Flexion of the foot at the ankle joint (plantarflexion), flexion of leg at knee joint, tibial nerve

Question 13

Plantaris origin and insertion

Answer 13

Popliteal surface of femur just superior to lateral condyle, tendon passes inferiorly between gastrocnemius and soleus to insert into posterior aspect of calcaneus

Question 14

Plantaris action and innervation

Answer 14

Plantarflexion of foot at ankle joint, tibial nerve

Question 15

Soleus origin and insertion

Answer 15

Superior 1/3 of the posterior surface of the shaft of the fibula, posterior aspect of head of fibula, tendineous arch between tibia and fibula, soles line and medial 1/3 of medial border of shaft of the tibia to middle of the posterior surface of calcaneus via tendocalcaneus

Question 16

Which muscles insert into posterior surface of calcaneus?

Answer 16

Soleus, gastrocnemius (via tendocalcaneus) and plantaris.

Question 17

Soleus action and innervation

Answer 17

Plantarflexion of foot at ankle joint. Tibial nerve

Question 18

Popliteus (intracapsular) origin and insertion

Answer 18

Anterior part of the groove for Popliteus (lateral surface of the lateral condyle of femur) to superior aspect of the posterior surface of the tibia (just superior to the soleal line).

Question 19

Popliteus action and innervation

Answer 19

Flexion of leg at knee, medial rotation of tibia on femur/lateral rotation of femur on tibia, initiates unlocking of the knee joint at the beginning of flexion. Tibial nerve.

Question 20

Flexor hallucis longus origin and insertion

Answer 20

Distal 2/3 of posterior surface of the fibula (just inferior to the origin of soleus) to plantar surface of the base of the terminal phalanx of the big toe

Question 21

Flexor Hallucis longus action and innervation

Answer 21

Flexion of all joint of big toe, assist in plantarflexion of foot at ankle joint, support of medial longitudinal arch. Tibial nerve

Question 22

Tibialis posterior origin and insertion

Answer 22

Posterior surface of the interosseus membrane, superior 2/3 of the posterior aspect of tibia, lateral to the vertical line and inferior to Soleal line and superior 2/3 of the posterior aspect of the fibula to tuberosity of navicular bone and all tarsal bones (except Talus) and base of 2,3 and 4th metatarsals

Question 23

Between which muscles does tibialis posterior lie?

Answer 23

Flexor digitorum longus and flexor hallucis longus.

Question 24

Tibialis posterior action and innervation

Answer 24

Inversion of foot at subtalar and midtarsal joints, assists in plantarflexion of the foot at the ankle joint, maintenance of medial longitudinal arch of the foot. Tibial nerve

Question 25

Flexor digitorum longus origin and insertion

Answer 25

Middle 1/3 of posterior surface of tibia, inferior to soleal line and medial to vertical line to base of distal phalanx of lateral 4 toes (via 4 tendons)

Question 26

Flexor digitorum longus action and innervation

Answer 26

Flexion of phalanges of lateral 4 toes, assists in plantarflexion of the foot at ankle, maintainance of medial and lateral longitudinal arches of the foot. Tibial nerve.

Question 27

Where does popliteal artery start and terminate?

Answer 27

Continuation of femoral artery at the adductor hiatus to inferior border of Popliteus muscle, by dividing into anterior and posterior tibial arteries

Question 28

Muscles supplied by popliteal artery

Answer 28

Muscles of popliteal fossa, and 5 genicular branches

Question 29

Genicular branches of popliteal artery (5)

Answer 29

Superior medial, superior lateral, inferior medial, inferior lateral and middle genicular branches.

Question 30

Posterior tibial artery origin, course and termination

Answer 30

Inferior border of Popliteus muscle, deep to tendineous arch between tibia and fibula, deep to soleus muscle. Runs between the superficial and deep muscle groups.
Becomes more superficial at the lower 3rd part of leg (covered by skin superficial fascia and deep fascia).
Termination: undercover of the flexor retinaculum by dividing into medial plantar artery and lateral plantar arteries.

Question 31

Posterior tibial artery start

Answer 31

Lower border of popliteus

Question 32

Posterior tibial artery termination

Answer 32

Undercover flexor retinaculum

Question 33

Posterior tibial artery terminal branches

Answer 33

Medial plantar artery and lateral plantar arteries

Question 34

Circumflex fibular artery

Answer 34

Branch of posterior tibial artery, runs around the neck of fibula- anastomosis around the knee joint

Question 35

Posterior tibial artery branches

Answer 35

Fibular artery Branch - runs parallel to this, gives perforating branches supplying lateral compartment of leg.

Nutrient artery to the tibia.

Muscular branches to posterior compartment leg.

Malleolar branch (medial malleolus).

Calcanear branch to calcaneus.

Terminal branches (medial and lateral plantar arteries).

Question 36

Popliteal vein start and termination

Answer 36

Lower border of popliteus muscle by union of venae comitantes of anterior and posterior tibial arteries, terminates by passing through adductor hiatus to become femoral vein.

Question 37

Popliteal vein tributaries

Answer 37

5 genicular veins, muscular veins and small saphenous vein, venae concomitants of anterior and posterior tibial arteries.

Question 38

Tibial nerve course

Answer 38

Enters through superior angle, leaves through inferior angle of popliteal fossa
Passess deep to tendinous arch between tibia and fibula
Runs between superficial and deep muscles
Lower part of leg becomes superficial (covered by skin, superficial and deep fascia)
Terminates under flexor retinaculum
Dividing into medial plantar and lateral plantar nerves

Question 39

Tibial nerve cutaneous branches

Answer 39

Cutaneous sural nerve

Question 40

Cutaneous sural nerve innervation

Answer 40

Skin of posterior and lateral parts of the leg and lateral part of foot

Question 41

Tibial nerve innervation

Answer 41

Muscles of posterior compartment, skin of posterior lateral leg and lateral foot (via sural nerve), knee joint and ankle joint (via articulate branches)

Question 42

Common fibulae nerve (terminal branch of sciatic nerve) course

Answer 42

Popliteal fosse through superior angle and leaves from the lateral angle
Crosses plantaris and lateral head of gastrocnemius
Descends posteriorly to head of fibula and curves anterior on the lateral side of the neck of the fibula
Terminates dividing into deep fibular nerve and superficial fibular nerve inside fibular is longus muscle

Question 43

Common fibular nerve skin branches

Answer 43

Lateral cutaneous nerve of the calf- skin of posterior, lateral and anterior surfaces of upper part of leg
Sural communicating nerve -joins the sural nerve

Question 44

Common fibular nerve articulate branches

Answer 44

Knee joint