Nerves Of The Lower Limb

Front 1

What two plexuses supply the lower limb?

Back 1

-lumbar plexus
-sacral plexus

Front 2

The lumbar plexus comes from what spinal nerves?

Back 2

L1-L4

Front 3

Where is the lumbar plexus located?

Back 3

in lower abdominal cavity, against muscles of posterior body wall

Front 4

What two nerves are the major motor nerves arising from lumbar plexus?

Back 4

femoral and obturator nerves

Front 5

What is the lumbosacral trunk?

Back 5

where part of L4 spinal nerve also joins with L5 nerve

Front 6

Where is the lumosacral trunk?

Back 6

passes over pelvic brim into pelvis -- contributes to sacral plexus

Front 7

Where is the femoral triangle?

Back 7

upper 1/3 of anterior thigh

Front 8

What forms the femoral triangle?

Back 8

-inguinal ligament -- superior border
-sartorius m. -- lateral border
-adductor longus m. -- medial border
-iliopsoas and pectineus m. -- floor (underlie femoral vein, artery, and nerve)

Front 9

What runs through the femoral triangle?

Back 9

(from medial to lateral) femoral vein, femoral artery, femoral nerve

Front 10

What region(s) does the femoral nerve innervate?

Back 10

anterior hip and thigh

Front 11

The femoral n. comes from what plexus and spinal nerves?

Back 11

-lumbar plexus
-L2-L4

Front 12

Where is the femoral nerve located?

Back 12

-runs inferiorly through pelvis in groove between iliacus and psoas major m. (on lateral side of psoas major muscle)
-then passes under inguinal ligament with iliopsoas m. and enters femoral triangle

Front 13

What innervates the iliacus muscle?

Back 13

femoral nerve

Front 14

Immediately after the femoral nerve enters the femoral triangle, what does it do?

Back 14

divides into several branches

Front 15

What 3 muscles will the branches of the femoral triangle innervate?

Back 15

-sartorius m.
-all 4 parts of quadriceps femoris m.
-pectineus m.

Front 16

What innervates the medial thigh?

Back 16

obturator nerve

Front 17

What plexus does the obturator nerve come from?

Back 17

lumbar plexus

Front 18

Orientation of obturator nerve?

Back 18

-within pelvis, runs inferiorly on medial side of psoas major m.
-exits pelvis through obturator foramen to enter medial thigh

Front 19

Obturator n. supplies all medial thigh muscles except ?

Back 19

pectineus and hamstring part of adductor magnus

Front 20

What muscles (names) does the obturator nerve supply?

Back 20

-gracilis m.
-adductor longus m.
-adductor brevis m.
-obturator externus m.
-adductor part of adductor magnus m.

Front 21

What spinal nerves is the sacral plexus from?

Back 21

L4-S4

Front 22

Where is the sacral plexus located?

Back 22

within true pelvis, lying on surface of piriformis m.

Front 23

What 3 nerves does the sacral plexus form?

Back 23

-superior gluteal nerve
-inferior gluteal nerve
-sciatic nerve

Front 24

What innervates the gluteal region?

Back 24

-superior gluteal nerve
-inferior gluteal nerve
-several small nerves from sacral plexus

Front 25

Orientation of superior gluteal nerve?

Back 25

exits greater sciatic foramen at superior margin of piriformis m.

Front 26

What muscles does the superior gluteal nerve supply?

Back 26

-gluteus medius
-gluteus minimus
-tensor faciae latae

Front 27

Orientation of the inferior gluteal nerve?

Back 27

exits greater sciatic foramen at inferior margin of piriformis

Front 28

What muscle(s) does the inferior gluteal nerve supply?

Back 28

gluteus maximus only!

Front 29

What muscles do the several small nerves from sacral plexus supply?

Back 29

-piriformis
-quatratus femoris
-superior and inferior gemelli
-obturator internus

Front 30

What innervates the posterior thigh?

Back 30

tibial and common fibular divisions of sciatic nerve

Front 31

Sciatic nerve is derived from ____ and is the _____ nerve in the body

Back 31

-sacral plexus
-largest

Front 32

Location of sciatic nerve?

Back 32

-emerges through greater sciatic foramen at inferior margin of piriformis m.
-then runs inferiorly through posterior thigh, deep to long head of biceps femoris m.

Front 33

The sciatic nerve divides into what?

Back 33

-tibial division of sciatic nerve
-common fibular of sciatic nerve

Front 34

The tibial division of sciatic nerve is on what side of the sciatic nerve?

Back 34

medial

Front 35

What muscles does the tibial division of sciatic nerve supply?

Back 35

-semitendinosus
-semimembranosus
-long head of biceps femoris
-hamstring part of adductor magnus

Front 36

What side is the common fibular division of sciatic nerve on?

Back 36

lateral side

Front 37

What muscle(s) does the common fibular division of sciatic nerve supply?

Back 37

short head of biceps femoris

Front 38

The two divisions remain together as sciatic nerve until ?

Back 38

they separate in distal 1/3 of thigh (at upper border of popliteal fossa)
-tibial nerve
-common fibular nerve

Front 39

What does the politeal fossa contain (not muscles)?

Back 39

-popliteal artery and vein
-tibial nerve
-common fibular nerve

Front 40

Location of tibial nerve?

Back 40

-runs vertically through center of popliteal fossa
-passes deep to gastrocnemius and soleus, then into deep posterior compartment of leg
-passes behind medial malleolus and enters medial side of plantar foot

Front 41

Tibial nerve supplies what region(s)?

Back 41

all muscles of superficial and deep posterior leg

Front 42

What does the tibial nerve divide into?

Back 42

medial and lateral plantar nerves of foot

Front 43

What supplies the intrinsic muscles of foot?

Back 43

medial and lateral plantar nerves

Front 44

Location of common fibular nerve?

Back 44

-follows tendon of biceps femoris muscle along superior-lateral border of popliteal fossa
-runs laterally around (superficial to) neck of fibula
-enters lateral leg

Front 45

What does the common fibular nerve divide into?

Back 45

-superficial fibular nerve
-deep fibular nerve

Front 46

Location of superficial fibular nerve?

Back 46

runs down leg within lateral compartment

Front 47

What does the superficial fibular nerve supply?

Back 47

lateral compartment muscles

Front 48

Location of deep fibular nerve

Back 48

-passes deep - goes through lateral leg compartment and enters anterior leg compartment
-continues down anterior leg compartment
-crosses ankle and continues onto dorsum of foot

Front 49

What muscles does the deep fibular nerve supply?

Back 49

(all anterior compartment muscles)
-tibialis anterior
-extensor digitorum longus
-extensor hallucis longus
-fibularis tertius
-extensor digitorum brevis
-extensor hallucis brevis