Popliteal Fossa And Posterior Compartment Of Leg Flashcards
What is the upper lateral border of the popliteal fossa?
Biceps femoris
What is the upper medial border of the popliteal fossa?
Semitendinosus, Semimembranosus, supplemented by sartorius, Gracilis and the tendon of adductor longus
What is the lower lateral boundary of the popliteal fossa?
Lateral head of gastrocnemius and plantaris muscle
What is the lower medial boundary of popliteal fossa?
Medial head of gastrocnemius muscle
Roof of popliteal fossa
Skin, superficial fascia (containing upper part of small saphenous vein) and deep fascia (known as popliteal fascia).
Floor of popliteal fossa
Upper part: popliteal surface of femur, Middle part: capsule of knee joint, Lower part: fascia covering popliteal muscle
What are the contents of popliteal fossa?
Popliteal artery and branches, popliteal vein and tributaries, tibial nerve and branches, common fibulae nerve and branches, popliteal lymph nodes and some fat.
Where do tibial nerve and posterior tibial vessels pass in the leg?
Posterior compartment between superficial and deep muscles.
Superficial muscles of posterior leg (3)
Gastrocnemius-plantaris-soleus (from superficial to deep).
Deep muscles of posterior leg (4)
Popliteus, flexor digitorum longus, flexor hallucis longus and tibialis posterior.
Gastrocnemius origin and insertion
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)
Gastrocnemius action and innervation
Flexion of the foot at the ankle joint (plantarflexion), flexion of leg at knee joint, tibial nerve
Plantaris origin and insertion
Popliteal surface of femur just superior to lateral condyle, tendon passes inferiorly between gastrocnemius and soleus to insert into posterior aspect of calcaneus
Plantaris action and innervation
Plantarflexion of foot at ankle joint, tibial nerve
Soleus origin and insertion
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
Which muscles insert into posterior surface of calcaneus?
Soleus, gastrocnemius (via tendocalcaneus) and plantaris.
Soleus action and innervation
Plantarflexion of foot at ankle joint. Tibial nerve
Popliteus (intracapsular) origin and insertion
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).
Popliteus action and innervation
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.
Flexor hallucis longus origin and insertion
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
Flexor Hallucis longus action and innervation
Flexion of all joint of big toe, assist in plantarflexion of foot at ankle joint, support of medial longitudinal arch. Tibial nerve
Tibialis posterior origin and insertion
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
Between which muscles does tibialis posterior lie?
Flexor digitorum longus and flexor hallucis longus.
Tibialis posterior action and innervation
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
Flexor digitorum longus origin and insertion
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)
Flexor digitorum longus action and innervation
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.
Where does popliteal artery start and terminate?
Continuation of femoral artery at the adductor hiatus to inferior border of Popliteus muscle, by dividing into anterior and posterior tibial arteries
Muscles supplied by popliteal artery
Muscles of popliteal fossa, and 5 genicular branches
Genicular branches of popliteal artery (5)
Superior medial, superior lateral, inferior medial, inferior lateral and middle genicular branches.
Posterior tibial artery origin, course and termination
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.
Posterior tibial artery start
Lower border of popliteus
Posterior tibial artery termination
Undercover flexor retinaculum
Posterior tibial artery terminal branches
Medial plantar artery and lateral plantar arteries
Circumflex fibular artery
Branch of posterior tibial artery, runs around the neck of fibula- anastomosis around the knee joint
Posterior tibial artery branches
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).
Popliteal vein start and termination
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.
Popliteal vein tributaries
5 genicular veins, muscular veins and small saphenous vein, venae concomitants of anterior and posterior tibial arteries.
Tibial nerve course
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
Tibial nerve cutaneous branches
Cutaneous sural nerve
Cutaneous sural nerve innervation
Skin of posterior and lateral parts of the leg and lateral part of foot
Tibial nerve innervation
Muscles of posterior compartment, skin of posterior lateral leg and lateral foot (via sural nerve), knee joint and ankle joint (via articulate branches)
Common fibulae nerve (terminal branch of sciatic nerve) course
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
Common fibular nerve skin branches
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
Common fibular nerve articulate branches
Knee joint
