Posterior Leg

Question 1

What is the innervation of both the superficial and deep posterior leg muscles?

Answer 1

Tibial nerve

Question 2

What joints does the gastroc cross?

Answer 2

Both the knee and the ankle

Question 3

What is the action of the gastrocnemius?

Answer 3

plantar flexion and flexes knee

Question 4

What can be found in the lateral head of the gastroc?

Answer 4

A fabella!

Question 5

What is the clinical significance of fabella?

Answer 5

It can sometimes be fractured in knee replacement surgeries and apparently causes harsh pain when fractured. Found that it possibly provides leverage for the lateral head of gastroc

Question 6

What is the action of the soleus muscle?

Answer 6

Plantar flexion

Question 7

Through what muscles does the plantaris tendon run?

Answer 7

long tendon runs between the gastrocnemius and soleus

Question 8

What is the action of the plantaris muscle?

Answer 8

weak plantar flexion

proposed to have importance in proprioreception

Question 9

what tendon is commonly used in reconstructive surgery of hand tendons?

Answer 9

tendon of plantaris muscle

Question 10

what is the function of the popliteus muscle?

Answer 10

unlocks extended leg by laterally rotates the distal femur on a stationary tibia to UNLOCK the knee

Question 11

what is the function of the flexor hallucis longus muscle?

Answer 11

plantar flexion at ankle joint AND flexion of toes

Question 12

where is there a groove for the flexor hallucis longus muscle?

Answer 12

between the medial and lateral tubercles on the talus

Question 13

how does the tendon of FDL orient on the plantar part of the foot?
IMPORTANT QUESTION

Answer 13

it passes diagonally to the sole of the foot. crosses (SUPERFICIALLY) flexor hallucis longus.

Question 14

What is the function of the FDL muscle?

Answer 14

flexes lateral four digits and plantar flex at ankle joint

Question 15

What are the actions of the tibialis posterior?

Answer 15

inversion and plantar flexion

Question 16

what is the insertion of the tibialis posterior?

Answer 16

various tarsal and metatarsal bones. UNLIKE DICK AND HARRY

Question 17

What is the nerve supply to the posterior leg?

Answer 17

Tibial nerve; this supplies all posterior compartment muscles

Question 18

What is the route of the tibial nerve?

Answer 18

Passes with posterior tibial vessels –> deep to soleus but posterior to tibialis posterior –> leaves posterior compartment by passing deep to flexor retinaculum between medial malleolus and calcaneus–> ends by dividing into medial and lateral plantar nerves

Question 19

what artery arises off the posterior tibial artery? draw this out

Answer 19

fibular artery –> ends by dividing into medial and lateral plantar arteries

Question 20

what is the arterial supply to the posterior compartment?

Answer 20

posterior tibial artery

Question 21

what does the posterior tibial artery run with?

Answer 21

tibial nerve

Question 22

what is the largest branch of the posterior tibial artery?

Answer 22

fibular artery

Question 23

between what two landmarks can a posterior tibial pulse be palpated?

Answer 23

between the posterior surface of the medial malleolus and and the medial border of calcaneal tendon

Question 24

what is an important component of taking the posterior tibial pulse?

Answer 24

because the PTA runs deep to the flexor retinaculum, it is important when palpating the foot to have the patient invert the foot to relax the flexor retinaculum

Question 25

Trauma to what muscle results in shin splints?

Answer 25

repetitive microtrauma to the tibialis anterior m. commonly occur during traumatic injury or athletic overexertion of muscles in the anterior compartment. can occur in persons who lead sedentary lives and then walk long distances or in runners that do not warm up or cool down properly. muscles in the AC swell from sudden overuse and the edema and muscle tendon inflammation reduce the blood flow to the muscles, which make it tender to pressure. this is a mild form of compartmental syndrome

Question 26

what can occur with a fracture to the fibular neck?

Answer 26

severance of the common fibular nerve. this results in flaccid paralysis of all muscles in the anterior and lateral compartments of the leg. this means a loss of dorsiflexion of ankle and evertors of the foot

Question 27

what is foot drop?

Answer 27

what occurs with the loss of the common fibular nerve–which results in no dorsiflexion of the foot. this is further worsened by no eversion in the foot

Question 28

what does weakening of the popliteal fossa indicate?

Answer 28

sign of femoral artery obstruction

Question 29

how should a popliteal pulse be taken?

Answer 29

pt prone with knee flexed as to relax the popliteal fascia and hamstrings