Week 2 L2: Thigh and Knee Flashcards
The lumbosacral plexus gives rise to 3 major branches that innervate the lower limb. What are they?
- femoral nerve
- obturator nerve
- lumbosacral trunk
Which ventral rami are the obturator and femoral nerve from?
L2, L3 and L4
Which 2 nerves are bound together to make the sciatic nerve?
common fibular part and tibial part
Which part of the lower limb does the tibial part of the sciatic nerve innervate?
posterior
Which part of the lower limb does the common fibula part of the sciatic nerve innervate?
anterior and lateral parts
What is the bone of the thigh?
femur
Which bone does the femur articulate with at the knee joint?
tibia (large bone of leg)
Which features are seen on the anterior femur?
- shaft
- adductor tubercle
- patellar surface
Which features are seen on the posterior femur?
- medial and lateral lips of the linea aspera
- medial and lateral supracondylar lines
- medial and lateral condyles
- intercondylar notch
What are the tibial plateaus?
flattened regions of the proximal tibia that articulate with the femoral condyles
What is the anatomical name for the knee cap?
patella
What movements are allowed at the knee joint?
flexion and extension and a very small degree of rotation
What are the 3 articulations at the knee joint?
2 femorotibial - articulation between femur and tibia
1 femoropatella - articulation between femur and patella
What are the menisci?
- crescent shaped ligaments
- 2 plates of fibrocartilage that deepens the tibial plateau
- thicker at external margins
What are the functions of the menisci?
- increase joint congruency between the femoral condyles and tibial plateau
- distribute weight evenly
- shock absorption
- assist in locking mechanism
Is the knee joint more stable and congruent in flexion or extension?
extension is most congruent and most stable
in flexion, less of the femoral condyles are in contact with the proximal tibia so it is less stable
What are the two collateral ligament in the knee?
- Fibula collateral ligament
2. Tibial collateral ligament
What is the difference in the fibula collateral and tibial collateral ligament?
tibial collateral ligament is attached to the meniscus whereas the fibula collateral ligament isn’t
What is the function of the:
- Fibula collateral ligament
- Tibial collateral ligament
- Prevents adduction of the leg at the knee
2. Prevents abduction of the leg at the knee
What is the function of the anterior cruciate ligament?
- prevents anterior displacement of tibia on femur
- prevents hyperextension
What is the function of the posterior cruciate ligament
- prevents posterior displacement of tibia on femur
- prevents hyperflexion
What are the muscles in the enclosed by what?
fascia lata
Where do the extensor muscles of the knee lie?
anterior thigh
Where do the flexor muscles of the knee lie
posterior thigh
What are the muscles found in the anterior thigh?
- iliopsoas
- Pectineus
- Quadratus femoris
- Sartorius
- Tensor fascia lata
What is the function of the pectineus?
flexes and abducts the hip
What is the function of the quadratus femoris?
4 muscles- “the quads”
- extension of the knee
- 1 of them flexes the hip
Where does the sartorius muscle originate and insert?
originates at the ASIS and inserts onto the medial tibia
What does the sartorius muscle do?
flexes the hip, laterally rotates the hip and flexes the knee
it takes a diagonal course across the medial thigh, crossing the hip and knee so it will act on both
Which nerve innervates the quadratus femoris?
femoral nerve L2-L4
What are the 4 muscles that make up the quadriceps femoris, and which one also flexes the hip
- Vastus intermedius
- Vastus Lateralis
- Vastus medialis
- Rectus femoris (attaches to AIIS so also flexes hip)
Where does the vastus lateralis originate and insert?
- originates at greater trochanter/ linear aspera
- attaches to posterior femur