Session 31 - The Anterior and Medial Thigh

Question 1

What is the surface marking of the femoral artery?

Answer 1

Just below the inguinal ligament at the point halfway between the pubic
tubercle and the ASIS.

Question 2

How do the femoral artery, vein and nerve lie relative to each other in the femoral
triangle?

Answer 2

Nerve - Lateral
Artery - Middle
Vein - Medial

Question 3

Which compartment and muscles are supplied by the femoral nerve?

Answer 3

The femoral nerve supplies the anterior compartment of the thigh.

Quadriceps femoris
Sartorius
Iliopsoas
Pectineus

Question 4

What is the general action of the anterior compartment muscle group

Answer 4

primarily flexors of the hip and / or extensors of the knee.

Question 5

Which regions of skin in the lower limb are innervated by the femoral nerve?

Answer 5

The anterior thigh and the anteromedial leg (via the saphenous nerve).

Question 6

Which compartment and muscles are supplied by the obturator nerve? What is
the general action of this muscle group?

Answer 6

Medial compartment of the thigh
Muscles
Adductor brevis, longus, magnus, gracilis &
Obturator externus

Primary adductors of the hip

Question 7

Only the adductor part of adductor magnus is innervated by the obturator nerve;
the hamstring part is innervated by which nerve?

Answer 7

Tibial nerve

Question 8

A patient with a large right ovarian cyst develops paraesthesia in the skin over her
medial thigh. Explain this finding.

Answer 8

Obturator nerve passes along the lateral wall of the pelvis in close proximity to the ovary

The nerve exists the pelvis via the obturator canal and innervates the medial compartment muscles and skin over the medial thigh

Ovary pathology can irritate the nerve during its passage and can result in this paraesthesia

Question 9

The nerve (WHICH) exits the pelvis via the obturator canal and innervates the medial
compartment muscles and skin over the medial thigh.

Answer 9

Obturator

Question 10

Describe the course of the obturator nerve.

Answer 10

L2-L4 Spinal nerve

It descends into the pelvis

Goes along the lateral wall of the pelvis
with the obturator artery and vein.

Travels through the adductor canal.

It enters the medial thigh deep to pectineus and travels between adductor brevis and longus.

It gives rise to branches that innervate the medial thigh
muscles and the skin of the medial thigh.

Question 11

What forms the adductor hiatus and what passes through it?

Answer 11

Formed between two parts of adductor magnus to the femur

The femoral artery and femoral vein pass through it.