Posterior compartment of leg

Question 1

What is the journey to forming the artery of the posterior compartment?

Answer 1

Aorta - common iliac - external iliac - femoral - popliteal - posterior tibial

Question 2

What are the branches that trifurcate off the popliteal artery?

Answer 2

Peroneal artery
anterior tibial artery
posterior tibial artery

Question 3

Once the post. tibial artery has supplied the posterior leg muscles, where does it go?

Answer 3

descends down leg, travels posterior to the medial malleolus and branches into the medial and lateral plantar arteries to supply the sole of the foot.

Question 4

What nerve supplies the muscles of the posterior leg compartment?

Answer 4

Tibial nerve

Question 5

Where & when does the tibial nerve originate?

Answer 5

It is one of the two branches that trifurcate off the sciatic nerve at the popliteal fossa

Question 6

What happens to the tibial nerve?

Answer 6

It innervated the posterior leg muscles before travelling posterior to the medial malleolus and bifurcating into the medial and lateral plantar nerves in the sole of the foot and the medial calcaneal nerve

Question 7

What does the sural nerve innervate and how is it formed?

Answer 7

Branches from the common peroneal and tibial nerve. It is a cutaneous nerve (penetrates deep fascia) that innervates the posterior/lateral skin of the inferior leg and heel.

Question 8

What is the medial malleoulus?

Answer 8

a bony prominences

Question 9

From Ant to Post, what runs posterior to the medial malleolus?

Answer 9

Tibialis posterior
flexor Digitorum longus
tibial Artery
Tibial Vein
Tibial Nerve
Flexor Hallicus longus
(Tom Dick And a Very Naughty Harry)

Question 10

What are the superficial posterior compartment muscles?

Answer 10

Gastrocnemius
Soleus
Plantaris

Question 11

What is the common movement of the superficial posterior muscles, and what is the exception?

Answer 11

They all are strong plantaflexors.

Gastrocnemius also flexes the knee as is originate from the femur

Question 12

What is the origin of the gastrocnemius?

Answer 12

Medial and lateral condyl of the femur

Question 13

What is the insertion of gastrocnemius and soleus?

Answer 13

Posterior calcaneus

Question 14

What is the origin and insertion of Plantaris?

Answer 14

Origin: Femur (superior to lateral gastroc. head)

Insertion blends medially which achilles tendon

Question 15

what is the origin of soleus?

Answer 15

Tibia and fibula

Question 16

Although both soleus and gastrocnemius are plantaflexors, when is each more likely to be in use?

Answer 16

Soleus: walking
Gastrocnemius: running and jumping

Question 17

What are the deep posterior muscles?

Answer 17

Tibialis posterior
Flexor digitorum longus
Flexor hallicus longus
Popliteus

Question 18

What is the insertion of Tibialis Posterior and what does this mean for its movement?

Answer 18

Insertion: medial cuneiform

This is the same as tibialis anterior, therefore it produces the movement, also inverting the foot.

Question 19

Origin of tibialis posterior

Answer 19

Posterior tibia, fibula and interosseous membrane

Question 20

Origin of flexor digitorum longus

Answer 20

Middle tibia

Question 21

Origin of flexor hallicus longus

Answer 21

Interosseus membrane and inferior 2/3 fibula

Question 22

origin and insertion of popliteus

Answer 22

Origin: lateral condyl of the femur
insertion: Posterior tibia

Question 23

What are the three places the achilles tendon can be injured? How would you repair

Answer 23

1) Musculotendinous juction
2) muscle belly tear
These should be treated with REST

3) tendonous rupture
these should be either sutured or immobilized in a cast, in the plantarflex position

Question 24

If there was a weakness in plantaflexion (inability to push off) what could be the cause?

Answer 24

Muscular cause: muscle/tendons of plantaflex muscles. this would be very painful, a pop could be heard

Nerve cause: Could be due to damage to the tibial, sciatic or even the nerve plexus.

Question 25

How would you determine what nerve was damaged in plantaflexion weakness

Answer 25

Look at what other nerves (and therefore muscles) have been affected