Pelvic Limbs

Os coxae

• ilium (cranial)

  • wing + body

  • iliac crest

  • greater ischiatic notch

• ischium

  • ischiatic spine

  • lesser ischiatic notch

• pubis

  • iliopubic eminence

  • obturator foramen

  • symphysis

• acetabulum

  • acetabular fossa: missing bone where head of femur attaches

  • notch: missing bone at the lower edge of the acetabular circle

Proximal femur

• fovea capitis femoris: indentation in head of femur for ligament attachment

• head: medial

• greater, lesser, & third trochanters

• trochanteric fossa & intertrochanteric crest

Distal femur

• medial + lateral condyle & intercondylar fossa (caudal)

  • extensor fossa on lateral condyle

• trochlea (cranial)

Sesamoid bones of stifle

• patella:

• fabella: near femoral condyles

  • gastrocnemius + popliteus

Tibia

• medial + lateral condyle

• intercondylar eminence

• tibial tuberosity

• medial malleolus

Fibula

• always lateral

• lateral malleolus

Tarsal bones

• proximal:

  • calcaneus (heel) w/calcaneal process/tuber calcanei - lateral

  • talus w/trochlea (articulates w/tibia)

• central tarsal bone

• distal: I medial → IV lateral

Metatarsal bones

• base (proximal) → head (distal)

• II - V ± 1

• proximal sesamoid bones on plantar surface where meeting w/phalanges

Phalanges

• proximal (biggest)

• middle

• distal

  • ungual crest (nail attachment) + process (nail)

Iliopsoas

• origin: lumbar vertebrae & craniolateral ilium

• insertion: lesser trochanter

• flexes hip

• innervated by lumbar nerves & femoral nerve

Tensor Fascia Latae

• includes muscle & fascia

• flexes hip, extends stifle

• innervated by cranial gluteal nerve

Gluteal muscles

• middle, deep, & superficial gluteal

• abduct hip

• innervated by gluteal nerves

  • middle & deep = cranial gluteal

  • superficial = caudal gluteal

Middle gluteal

• origin: iliac crest

• insertion: greater trochanter of femur

• abducts hip

• innervated by cranial gluteal nerve

Caudal hip muscles

• muscles:

  • internal obturator (dorsal)

  • gemelli

  • quadratus femoris (lateral)

    • extends hip

  • external obturator (ventral)

    • innervated by obturator nerve

• rotate femur laterally

• innervated by sciatic nerve

Caudal thigh muscles

• muscles:

  • biceps femoris (lateral)

  • semitendinosus

  • semimembranosus (medial)

• origin: ischiatic tuberosity

• extend hip

• innervated by sciatic nerve

Biceps femoris

• origin: sacrotuberous ligament & ischiatic tuberosity

• insertion: patellar ligament & tuber calcanei

• extends hip

• innervated by sciatic nerve

Semitendinosus

• origin: ischiatic tuberosity

• insertion: body of tibia & tuber calcanei

• extends hip

• innervated by sciatic nerve

Semimembranosus

• origin: ischiatic tuberosity

• insertion: distal caudal femur & proximal tibia

• extends hip

• innervated by sciatic nerve

Popliteal lymph nodes

• located at the level of the stifle between biceps femoris & semitendinosus

Common calcaneal tendon

• major components: gastrocnemius & superficial digital flexor

• minor components: biceps femoris, semitendinosus, gracilis

Medial thigh muscles

• muscles:

  • sartorius

    • innervated by saphenous & femoral nerve

    • flexes hip

  • gracilis

  • pectineus

  • adductor (deep)

• adduct limb

• innervated by obturator nerve

Cranial thigh muscles

• quadriceps femoris

  • rectus femoris

    • origin: body of ilium

  • vastus lateralis, intermedius, medialis

• origin: proximal femur

• insertion: tibital tuberosity

• extend stifle & needed for weight-bearing

• innervated by femoral nerve

Craniolateral muscles of crus

• muscles:

  • cranial tibial (superficial)

  • long digital extensor

  • peroneus longus

    • common peroneal

  • lateral digital extensor (deep)

    • superficial peroneal

• flex tarsus

• innervated by peroneal nerves

Cranial tibial

• origin: lateral tibial tuberosity

• inserts: plantar surface MT I-II

• flexes tarsus & rotates paw laterally

• innervated by deep peroneal nerve

Long digital extensor

• origin: extensor fossa (lateral condyle of femur)

• insertion: P3 of digits II-V

• flexes tarsus & extends digits

• innervated by deep peroneal nerve

Caudal muscles of crus

• muscles:

  • gastrocnemius (superficial)

  • superficial digital flexor

  • deep digital flexor

  • popliteus (caudal)

    • medial rotation of leg

• extend tarsus

• innervated by tibial nerve

Gastrocnemius

• origin: caudal surface of femur

• insertion: tuber calcanei

• extends tarsus & flexes stifle

• innervated by tibial nerve

Superficial digital flexor

• origin: lateral femoral condyle

• insertion: tuber calcanei & middle phalanges of II-V

• extends tarsus & flexes first 2 digital joints

• innervated by tibial nerve

Deep digital flexor

• medial & lateral heads

• origin: proximal tibia

• insertion: plantar surface of distal phalanges

• extends tarsus & flexes digits

• innervated by tibial nerve

Lumbosacral plexus

• ventral branches of spinal nerves L4-7 & S1-2

• leads to all pelvic limb nerves

Saphenous nerve

• branch of femoral nerve responsible for sensory innervation of skin & motor innervation of sartorius

Lumbosacral trunk

• nerves from L6-S2:

  • caudal gluteal

  • cranial gluteal

  • sciatic

    • crosses greater ischiatic notch

    • branches into common peroneal & tibial

Aortic termination

• external iliac arteries (R/L) → pelvic limbs

• internal iliac arteries (R/L) → pelvic cavity/gluteal regions

• median sacral artery

External iliac arteries

• branches:

  • deep femoral (supplies medial thigh muscles)

    • pudendal epigastric trunk

    • medial circumflex femoral

  • femoral

    • lateral circumflex femoral (supplies cranial thigh muscles)

    • saphenous

    • descending genicular

    • distal caudal femoral (supplies caudal thigh & crus muscles)

  • popliteal

  • cranial tibial (near deep peroneal nerve, supplies cranial crus muscles)

  • dorsal pedal (near tarsal joint)

Locations for pulses

• femoral artery (femoral triangle)

• cranial branch of saphenous artery (middle third of medial tibia)

• dorsal pedal

Femoral vein

• medial saphenous (drains into femoral vein)

• lateral saphenous (drains into distal caudal femoral vein)

Common iliac vein

• external + internal iliac → caudal vena cava

Femoral triangle

• cranial: sartorius

• caudal: pectineus

• deep: vastus medialis & rectus femoris

• contains femoral artery + vein & saphenous nerve passing through vascular lacuna

Sacroiliac joint

• connection of iliac wing to sacral wing

• sacrotuberous ligament from ischiatic tuberosity to sacrum

  • biceps femoris & superficial + middle gluteal insert

• stabilizes

Hip joint

• acetabulum & head of femur

  • ligament of femoral head (fovea capitis to acetabular fossa)

  • transverse acetabular ligament (sides of acetabular notch)

• ball-and-socket, causes flexion & extension

Stifle joint

• femorotibial joint

  • medial + lateral collateral ligaments

  • medial + lateral menisci

    • lateral meniscus thicker, held by meniscofemoral ligament

  • cranial + caudal cruciate ligaments

• femoropatellar joint

  • medial + lateral femoropatellar ligaments

  • patellar ligament

• compound hinge joint

Cruciate ligaments

• cranial: attaches to cranial tibia & medial aspect of lateral condyle of femur

  • high tear incidence

• caudal: attaches to caudal tibia & lateral aspect of medial condyle of femur