 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Anatomy Tables - Superficial Lower Limb
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Anatomy Tables - Superficial Lower Limb |
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Osteology |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bone | Structure | Description | Notes |
| ilium (N248, N486, TG3-04A, TG3-04B, TG5-03) |
fan-shaped bone that forms the lateral prominence of the pelvis | one of three bones that form the os coxae: ilium, ischium, pubis | |
| anterior superior iliac spine(Practical1, Practical2) | spine at the anterior end of the iliac crest | lateral attachment of the inguinal ligament | |
| iliac crest | arching superior edge the ilium that forms the rim of the "fan" | attachment for abdominal wall muscles | |
| iliac tubercle | roughened area along the outer edge of the iliac crest | ||
| posterior superior iliac spine | spine at the posterior end of the iliac crest | position marked by a dimpling of the skin | |
| tibia (N513, TG3-08, TG3-09) |
the bone on the medial side of the leg | the tibia is the weight-bearing bone of the leg (Latin, tibia = the large shin bone) | |
| medial malleolus | the large bony prominence on the medial side of the ankle | the medial malleolus of the tibia forms the medial side of the ankle joint; it articulates with the medial surface of the talus (Latin, malleus = hammer) | |
| fibula (N495, TG3-08, TG3-09) |
the slender bone on the lateral side of the leg | the fibula is not a weight-bearing bone, it is a muscle attachment bone (Latin, fibula = that which fastens) | |
| lateral malleolus | the enlarged distal end of the fibula | the lateral malleolus of the fibula forms the lateral side of the ankle joint; it articulates with the lateral surface of the talus; forcible lateral displacement of the foot can cause the fibula to fracture superior to the lateral malleolus, a condition called a Pott's fracture (Latin, malleus = hammer) | |
Joints and Ligaments |
||
|---|---|---|
| Joint | Description | Significance |
| inguinal ligament (N250, N491, TG3-16, TG5-04, Practical1, Practical2) |
the ligament that connects the anterior superior iliac spine with the pubic tubercle | the inguinal ligament is a specialization of the inferior border of the external abdominal oblique aponeurosis; it is the site of origin for a part of the internal abdominal oblique muscle and for a part of the transversus abdominis muscle; also known as: Poupart's ligament |
| pubic symphysis (N248, TG5-03, Practical) |
symphysis | midline joint uniting the pubic bodies (Greek, symphysis = a growing together) |
Veins |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vein | Tributaries | Drains Into | Regions Drained | Notes | dorsal venous arch of foot (N544, TG3-02) |
dorsal digital vv. and dorsal metatarsal vv. | great saphenous v. medially, small saphenous v. laterally | dorsum of digits & superficial structures of dorsum of foot |
| saphenous, greater (N544, N546, TG3-02, TG3-70) |
medial end of dorsal venous arch of foot, perforating communications, superficial epigastric, superficial circumflex iliac, superficial external pudendal | femoral v. | superficial structures of medial lower limb; lower abdominal wall, perineal region | frequently used as graft material in coronary bypass surgery (Saphenous, arabic for "al safin" = hidden, for this vein does not show through the skin) |
| epigastric, superficial (N500, N544, TG3-02) |
none | greater saphenous v. | superficial fascia and skin of the lower abdominal wall | superficial epigastric v. communicates with paraumbilical vv. and may enlarge in portal hypertension, producing the sign called caput medusae |
| saphenous, lesser (N545, TG3-03) |
lateral end of dorsal venous arch of foot | popliteal v. | superficial lateral foot & leg | (Saphenous, arabic for "al safin" = hidden, for this vein does not show through the skin) |
Nerves |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nerve | Source | Branches | Motor | Sensory | Notes |
| femoral (N500, N540, TG3-17, TG3-63, Practical1, Practical2) |
lumbar plexus (ventral primary rami of L2-L4) | anterior femoral cutaneous brs., nn. to: sartorius, rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis, pectineus | sartorius, rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis, pectineus | skin of anterior thigh | passes under inguinal ligament lateral to femoral a. |
| femoral cutaneous, anterior (N500, N540, TG3-17, TG3-63) |
femoral | skin of anterior thigh | (Latin, cutis = skin) | ||
| femoral cutaneous, lateral (N500, N540, TG3-17, TG3-63) |
lumbar plexus (ventral primary rami of L2-L3) | anterior & posterior brs. | skin of lateral thigh | (Latin, cutis = skin) | |
| saphenous (N500, N540, TG3-17, TG3-63, Practical) |
femoral | infrapatellar br. | skin of medial leg & foot | travels with great saphenous v.; does not pass through the adductor hiatus at the knee; passes anterior to the medial malleolus at the ankle (Saphenous, arabic for "al safin" = hidden, for this vein does not show through the skin) | |
| superficial fibular n. (N502, N524, TG3-65) |
common fibular n. | medial dorsal cutaneous n. to the medial side of the foot; dorsal digital nn. to the lateral 3 toes | muscles of the lateral compartment of the leg (fibularis longus and brevis mm.) | distal 1/3 of the anterior surface of the leg; dorsum of the foot excluding the skin of the web between the great toe and the 2nd toe and the distal interphalangeal segments of all toes | nail beds are supplied by nerves from the plantar surface of the foot |
| deep fibular n. (N520, N542, TG3-65, Practical1, Practical2) |
common fibular n. | one proper digital br. | muscles of the anterior compartment of the leg (tibialis anterior m., extensor hallucis longus m., extensor digitorum longus m., fibularis tertius m.) and muscles of the dorsum of the foot (extensor digitorum brevis m.and extensor hallucis brevis m.) | skin of the web between the great toe and the 2nd toe | anterior compartment syndrome - trauma to the anterior side of the leg can result in pressure buildup in the anterior compartment (from swelling or bleeding) that can damage the deep fibular n., resulting in "foot drop" |
| femoral cutaneous, posterior (N540, TG3-28) |
sacral plexus (ventral primary rami of S1-S3) | inferior cluneal nn.; perineal br. | skin of lower buttock & posterior thigh | (Latin, cutis = skin) | |
| medial sural cutaneous (N540, TG3-39) |
tibial n. | no named branches | none | skin of the posterior surface of the leg; skin of the lateral side of the foot | unites with fibular communicating br. to form the sural n. (Latin, cutis = skin) |
| lateral sural cutaneous (N540, TG3-39) |
common fibular n. | fibular communicating br. | none | skin of the lateral side of the leg | contains postganglionic sympathetic axons for supply of sweat glands, arrector pili mm. and blood vessels, as do ALL cutaneous sensory nerves (Latin, cutis = skin) |
| sural n. (N540, TG3-39, Practical) |
formed by the union of the fibular communicating br. of the lateral sural cutaneous n. and the medial sural cutaneous nn. | lateral calcaneal brs., lateral dorsal cutaneous n. of the foot | none | skin of the posterior surface of the lower leg; skin of the lateral side of the foot | sural n. courses posterior to the lateral malleolus at the ankle with the lesser saphenous v.(Latin, sura= the calf of the leg) |
Fascia |
||
|---|---|---|
| Organ/Part of Organ | Location/Description | Notes |
| fascia lata (N544, TG3-02) |
deep fascia forming tubular investment of the thigh | thickened laterally as iliotibial tract/band; connected to femur by lateral & medial intermuscular septa; Scarpa's fascia attaches to it below inguinal ligament |
| iliotibial tract (N493, TG3-16, TG3-26, Practical) |
extends from the iliac tubercle to a tubercle on the lateral condyle of the tibia | the conjoint aponeurosis of the tensor fasciae latae and gluteus maximus mm. |
| crural fascia (N544, TG3-02, TG3-03) |
deep fascia forming a tubular investment of the leg | crural fascia is continuous with the fascia lata at the level of the knee; it is connected to the fibula by the anterior and posterior intermuscular septa; crural fascia is thickened near the ankle to form the extensor and flexor retinacula (Latin, crural = the legs) |
| deep dorsal fascia (N544,N545, TG3-02, TG3-03) |
dorsally continuous with the inferior extensor retinaculum | |
| plantar fascia (N544,N545, TG3-02, TG3-03) |
deep fascia of the sole | forms plantar aponeurosis |
Lymphatics |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | Location | Afferents from | Efferents to | Regions drained | Notes |
| superficial inguinal nodes (N546, TG3-70, Practical) |
in superficial fascia parallel to inguinal ligament & along greater saphenous v. | deep inguinal nodes | external genitalia; superficial parts of lower limb | ||
| The material presented in these tables is contained in the book: MedCharts Anatomy by Thomas R. Gest & Jaye Schlesinger Published by ILOC, Inc., New York Copyright © 1995, unauthorized use prohibited. |
The excellent editorial assistance of Dr. Pat Tank, UAMS is gratefully acknowledged. |
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}