Anterior Thigh

What are the two types of fascia present in the thigh region?

Superficial fascia and deep fascia.

What is the greater saphenous vein?

The major superficial vein that drains the medial side of the lower extremity.

What is fascia lata?

The deep fascia of the thigh that acts as a compression stocking to assist with venous return.

What is the iliotibial tract?

A thickened region of fascia lata on the lateral side of the thigh, running from the iliac tubercle to Gerdy's tubercle.

What is the role of intermuscular septa in the thigh?

They split the thigh region into anterior, medial, and posterior compartments.

Which nerve innervates the anterior compartment muscles of the thigh?

The femoral nerve.

What are the borders of the femoral triangle?

Superior: inguinal ligament; Medial: adductor longus muscle; Lateral: sartorius.

What are the contents of the femoral triangle?

Femoral nerve, femoral artery, femoral vein, lymph nodes, and lymph vessels.

What is the adductor canal?

A passageway from the apex of the femoral triangle to the adductor hiatus, deep to the sartorius muscle.

What is the primary action of the rectus femoris muscle?

It flexes the hip and extends the knee.

What is the origin and insertion of the pectineus muscle?

Origin: superior ramus of pubis; Insertion: pectineal line of femur.

What is the innervation of the sartorius muscle?

The femoral nerve (L2, L3).

What are the actions of the sartorius muscle?

Adducts hip, flexes hip, laterally rotates hip, and flexes knee.

What two muscles make up the iliopsoas?

Psoas major and iliacus.

What is the origin of the psoas major?

Sides of T12-L5 vertebrae and discs between them; transverse processes of all lumbar vertebrae.

What is the innervation of the iliacus muscle?

The femoral nerve (L2, L3).

What is the primary action of the quadriceps femoris?

It extends the knee and, in the case of the rectus femoris, also flexes the hip.

What is the origin of the rectus femoris?

Anterior inferior iliac spine and the ilium superior to the acetabulum.

What is the insertion of the vastus lateralis?

Common tendinous (quadriceps tendon) to the base of the patella and indirectly to the tibial tuberosity via the patellar ligament.

What is the unique feature of the psoas minor muscle?

It is absent in about 50% of the population and does not participate in hip flexion.

What is the action of the vastus lateralis muscle?

Extends the knee.

Where does the vastus lateralis originate?

Greater trochanter and lateral lip of linea aspera.

What is the innervation of the vastus lateralis?

Femoral nerve (L2, L3, L4).

What is the primary action of the vastus medialis longus?

Extends the knee.

What is the role of the vastus medialis obliquus?

Acts as a dynamic medial stabilizer of the patella.

Where does the vastus medialis originate?

Intertrochanteric line and medial lip of linea aspera.

What is the innervation of the vastus medialis?

Femoral nerve (L2, L3, L4).

What is the origin of the vastus intermedius?

Anterior and lateral surfaces of the shaft of the femur.

What is the action of the vastus intermedius?

Extends the knee.

What vein drains the medial side of the lower extremity?

Greater saphenous vein.

Where does the greater saphenous vein drain into?

Femoral vein, through the saphenous opening in the fascia lata.

What is the primary blood supply for the lower extremity?

Femoral artery.

What does the femoral artery become as it enters the adductor hiatus?

Popliteal artery.

What is the profunda femoral artery?

A major branch from the femoral artery that supplies the posterior, lateral, and medial aspects of the thigh.

What does the lateral femoral circumflex artery supply?

The lateral portion of the anterior compartment of the thigh.

What is the sensory distribution of the L2 dermatome?

Upper thigh.

Which nerve provides sensory innervation to the medial leg?

Saphenous nerve.

What area does the sural nerve innervate?

Proximal 2/3 of the lateral leg.

What is the function of the medial plantar nerve?

Innervates the medial plantar surface of the foot.

How does the femoral nerve enter the thigh?

By going deep to the inguinal ligament.

What is the relationship of the femoral nerve to the femoral artery and vein in the femoral triangle?

The femoral nerve is usually lateral to the femoral artery and vein.

Superficial and deep

What are the two different types of fascia in the anterior thigh

Greater saphenous vein

What structure is hidden in the superficial fascia of the anterior leg that is the major superficial vein that drains the medial side of the lower extremity

Fascia lata

What term in the thigh region does the deep fascia get

Fascia lata

Compression stocking assisting with venous return of the blood out of the lower extremity as the muscles contract

Iliotibial tract (band)

Special thickened region of the fascia lata on the lateral side of the thigh

Iliac tubercle to anterior arterial tibial tubercle (Gerry's tubercle)

What does the IT tract run from in the leg, from where to where?

Intermuscular septa

Arising from deep fascia splits the thigh region into anterior, medial, posterior compartments

Femoral nerve

What are the anterior compartment muscles are innervated by the what nerve

Tibial nerve (short head biceps femoris)

What are the posterior compartment muscles innervated by the what nerve? (except which muscle)

Common fibular nerve

What is the short head of biceps femoris innervated by?

Obturator nerve (hamstring portion of adductor magnus)

Medial compartment muscles are innervated by what nerve? (Except what muscle)

Tibial nerve

What is the hamstring portion of the adductor magnus innervated by

Inverted triangle in proximal region of anterior thigh

Where is the femoral triangle located

Inguinal ligament

What is the superior border of the femoral triangle

Adductor longus muscle

What is the medial border of the femoral triangle

Sartorius muscle

What is the lateral border of the femoral triangle

Ilipsoas muscle

What is the lateral portion of the floor of the femoral triangle made of

Pectineus muscle

What is the medial portion of the floor of the femoral triangle made of

Fascia lata

What is the roof of the femoral triangle made out of

Femoral nerve, femoral artery, femoral vein, lymph nodes and lymph vessels (as well as proximal portions of the profunda femoral artery and its branches medial and lateral femoral circumflex arteries)

What are the contents of the femoral triangle

Apex of femoral triangle to the adductor hiatus

What does the adductor canal run from where to where

Sartorius muscle

What muscle does the adductor triangle run underneath

femoral nerve, artery, vein

the adductor canal serves as the passageway for which arteries, nerves, and veins?

Flex, extend

Typically muscles in the anterior thigh compartment either ______ the hip OR ________ the knee

Flex, extend

The rectus femoris muscle _______ the hip AND _______ the knee

Flex, flex

The sartorius muscle _______ the hip AND ______ the knee

Greater saphenous vein, lesser saphenous vein, femoral artery, profunda femoral artery, lateral femoral circumflex artery, medial femoral circumflex artery

What are the vessels of the anterior thigh

Dematomes

The location of sensory distribution based on spinal nerves

L2

What dermatome is depicted in some part of the upper thigh

L3

What dermatome is depicted as including the medial knee

L4

What dermatome is somewhere on the medial leg

L5

What dermatome is somewhere on the lateral leg

S1

What dermatome is the lateral foot

S2

What dermatome is somewhere on the posterior side of the lower extremity

Femoral nerve

What nerve is the peripheral sensory nerve for the anteriomedial thigh

Sural nerve

What nerve is the peripheral sensory nerve for the proximal 2/3's of the lateral leg

Saphenous nerve

What nerve is the peripheral sensorery nerve for the medial leg, inferior patella region, (often number after surgeries involving the patellar tendon), and is a sensory branch of the femoral nerve

Superficial fibular nerve

What nerve is the peripheral sensory nerve for the distal lateral 3rd of leg and dorsum of foot

Deep fibular nerve

What nerve is the peripheral sensory nerve of the web space between the 1st and 2nd toe

Medial plantar nerve

What nerve is the peripheral sensory nerve for the medial plantar surface of the foot

Lateral plantar nerve

What nerve is the peripheral sensory nerve for the lateral plantar surface of the foot

Femoral nerve

What is the nerve of the anterior thigh

Deep to the inguinal ligament, adductor canal

Where does the femoral nerve enter the thigh and where does it end and enter where the motor portion eventually ends