Conceptual overview of the lower limbs

Question 1

What are the hip bones composed of?

Answer 1

Ilium

Ischium

Pubis

Question 2

Answer 2

a. Anterior superior iliac spine
b. Illia crest
c. Illiac fossa
d. Pubic tubercle
e. Pubic crest
f. Obturator foramen
g. Acetabular fossa
h. Ischial spine
i. Ischial tuberosity

Question 3

What is the femur?

Answer 3

Longest bone in the body and runs from the hip joint to the knee joint, it is exclusively found in the thigh

Question 4

Femur

Answer 4

a. Neck
b. Lesser trochanter
c. Lateral condyle
d. Greater trochanter
e. Medial condyle
f. Head
g. Intertrochanteric line

Question 5

What does the femoral head articulate with?

Answer 5

The acetabulum of the hip to form the hip joint

Question 6

The two hemi-pelvises articulate where?

Answer 6

In the midline at the pubic symphysis

Question 7

What are the 2 superficial veins?

Answer 7

Great saphenous veins

Lesser sapheous veins

Question 8

What do the veins of the leg begin as?

Answer 8

Main tributaries from the dorsal venous arch of the foot

Question 9

Where do the great sapheousvein drain into?

Answer 9

The femoral vein at the medial aspect of the thigh

Question 10

Answer 10

Question 11

Answer 11

Question 12

Which superficial vein ascends anterior to the medial malleolus of the tibia?

Answer 12

Great saphenous vein

Question 13

Which vein ascends posterior to the lateral malleolus?

Answer 13

Small sapheous vein

Question 14

Which superficial vein empties into the femoral vein?

Answer 14

Great sapheous vein

Question 15

Which superficial vein empties into the popliteal vein?

Answer 15

Small sapheous vein

Question 16

Why are valves present in the sapheous vein?

Answer 16

To prevent pooling of blood in the legs

Question 17

How are the varicous veins formed?

Answer 17

If these valves become incompetent, the thin vessels dilate, and become torturous forming varicose veins

Question 18

WHat happens if varicous veins become inflammed?

Answer 18

Become problematic

Thrombophelbitis

Question 19

The deep veins of the lower leg ascend with?

Answer 19

Their respective major arteries

Question 20

What does venous status cause?

Answer 20

Venous status (stagnation) is an important cause of thrombus (blood clot) formation.

A number of risks increase this occurring in the lower limb – you will likely cover in your clinical sessions.

Question 21

What is it called if a thrombus occurs in the deep veins of the lower limb?

Answer 21

DVT

Question 22

What becomes if a thrombus becomes disloged and migrates away?

Answer 22

Its source it is called an embolus.
If this lodges in the lungs then it is a pulmonary embolus, a potentially life-threatening clinical condition.

Question 23

The lymphatics in the lower limb drain into 3 groups of nodes:

Answer 23

Superficial Inguinal

Deep Inguinal

Popliteal

Question 24

Lymphatic vessels accompanying the great saphenous vein drain into where?

Answer 24

The superficial inguinal nodes

Question 25

The lymphatics accompanying the small saphenous vein drain into what?

Answer 25

Popiteal lymph nodes

Question 26

Enlargement of the inguinal lymph nodes can be caused by what?

Answer 26

Infection to any structure lying inferior to the level of the umbilicus, including the lower limb.

They can also become enlarged in intra-abdominal/pelvic malignancies.

Question 27

What does the sensory supply come from?

Answer 27

Lumbar and sacral plexus

Question 28

What is the purple and what is the green?

Answer 28

The region supplied by the lumbar plexus is shown in purple and the sacral plexus in green.

Question 29

What is the anterior of knee suppkied by?

Answer 29

L3 dermatome

The big toe is commonly supplied by the L5 dermatome, and the little toe by the S1 dermatome.