Anterior Compartment Of The Leg and Dorsum of the Foot Flashcards
Don't get too obsessed memorizing origins and insertions. They aren't necessarily high-yield content.
What are three branches of the saphenous nerve?
- Medial crural branches of the saphenous nerve
- Infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve
- Branch to the sub-sartorial plexus
- [Diagram]
What is the root value of the saphenous nerve?
L3, L4
What are 6 cutaneous nerves of the dorsum of the foot and the front of the leg?
- Infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve
- Saphenous nerve
- Lateral sural cutaneous nerve
- Superficial peroneal nerve
- Deep peroneal nerve
- Sural nerve
- [Diagram]
What are four cutaneous veins of the front of the leg and the dorsum of the foot.
- The dorsal venous arch
- The dorsal digital veins
- Great saphenous vein
- Small saphenous vein
The anterior tibial artery is a branch of the popliteal artery. It begins its course near the inferior border of the popliteus muscle. What opening does it traverse to supply the structures of the anterior compartment of the leg?
It passes through the oval aperture in the proximal part of the interosseous membrane and runs medial to the fibular neck, hence emerging on the anterior compartment of the leg.
[Diagram: anterior tibial artery]
Between which two muscles does the anterior tibial artery lie in the upper third of the anterior compartment of the leg?
It lies between tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum longus.
Between which two muscles does the anterior tibial artery lie in the middle third of the anterior compartment of the leg?
It lies between tibialis anterior and extensor hallucis longus.
Between which two muscles does the anterior tibial artery lie in the lower third of the anterior compartment of the leg?
It lies between extensor hallucis longus and extensor digitorum longus.
Name the artery that is the main artery of the foot and is a continuation of the anterior tibial artery as it crosses the ankle joint.
The dorsalis pedis artery
Further notes:
The dorsalis pedis pulse can be readily palpated against the underlying bones. This is performed by palpating between the extensor hallucis longus tendon and the extensor digitorum longus tendon to the second toe, at the level of the bases of the first and second metatarsal bones. A weak or absent pulse usually suggests some level of vascular insufficiency.
Name two terminal branches of the common fibular nerve.
The deep fibular nerve
The superficial fibular nerve
Why is the deep fibular nerve referred to as nervus hesitance?
This is it because in the upper and lower thirds of the leg, it runs lateral to the anterior tibial artery but in the middle third, it runs anteriorly to it, hence it is said to be “hesitant” to cross to the medial side of the anterior tibial artery.
The deep fibular nerve ends in front of the ankle by dividing into the lateral and medial terminal branches. Name four structures innervated by the lateral terminal branch.
- extensor digitorum brevis
- extensor hallucis brevis
- tarsal joint
- middle three metatarsophalangeal joints
The deep fibular nerve ends in front of the ankle by dividing into the
lateral and medial terminal branches. Name two structures innervated by the medial terminal branch.
The medial terminal branch runs forward and ends by supplying:
✓ the skin of the adjacent sides of big and second toes (first interdigital cleft)
✓ first dorsal interosseous muscle
Name the nerve that supplies the skin of the first interdigital cleft of the foot.
medial terminal branch of the deep fibular nerve
Discuss the distribution of the terminal branches of the superficial peroneal nerve.
The medial terminal branch of the superficial peroneal nerve crosses the ankle and divides into two dorsal digital nerves, one for the medial side of the big toe and the other for the second interdigital cleft.
The lateral terminal branch of the superficial peroneal nerve also divides into two dorsal digital nerves for the third and fourth interdigital clefts
