Anatomy of the Lower Limb

MSK, Lower Limbs -1

• Topics covered include anatomical movements, bony skeleton of lower limbs, muscles (gluteal region, thigh, leg & foot), joints (hip, knee, ankle), and blood supply and nerves.

Anatomical Movements

• Flexion vs Extension: Movement along the sagittal plane (forward/backward bending).
• Abduction vs Adduction: Movement in coronal plane away from/towards the midline.
• Lateral rotation vs Medial rotation: Rotation of the anterior thigh surface away from or towards the midline.
• Plantarflexion vs Dorsiflexion: Movement of the foot (ankle joint) away from/towards the lower leg.
• Eversion vs Inversion: Turning the bottom of the foot away from/towards the midline (subtalar joints).

Skeletal System Overview

• The skeletal system of the lower limb is detailed with its related parts (hip, thigh, knee, leg, ankle, foot).
• Bones and joints of the lower limb are labeled with names such as hip, hip joint, thigh, femur, patella, tibia, fibula, ankle, foot, tarsals, metatarsals, and phalanges.

Hip Joint

• Detailed diagrams and descriptions of the hip bone (lateral and medial views) show various features like gluteal lines, iliac crest, anterior superior/inferior iliac spines, acetabulum, lunate surface, acetabulum, acetabular notch, pubis, superior/inferior rami, ischial ramus, greater/lesser sciatic notch, ischial spine, obturator foramen, and ischial tuberosity.
• The components for artery, veins and nerves are found in the area of the greater/lesser sciatic foramen along with other muscle descriptions.

Muscles of the Hip Region & Thigh

• Muscles like Psoas major, Psoas minor, Iliacus, Tensor Fasciae Latae, and Pectineus are discussed in relation to their attachments, nerve supply, and blood supply.
• Detailed descriptions and diagrams of the gluteal region muscles include Gluteus maximus, Gluteus medius, Gluteus minimus, Piriformis, Superior Gemellus, Inferior Gemellus, Obturator Internus, Quadratus Femoris.
• Muscles in the thigh compartment (anterior, medial and posterior), such as Sartorius, Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis, Vastus Medialis, Vastus Intermedius are given with their attachments and roles in action. Also details of Adductor Brevis, Adductor Longus, Adductor Magnus, Gracilis , are described. Posterior thigh muscles include Semitendinosus and Semimembranosus.
• Biceps Femoris (has two parts: long head and short head) is also part of the posterior compartment.

Deep and Superficial Arteries and Veins

• Arteries and veins of the lower limb, including femoral artery, popliteal artery, posterior tibial artery, fibular artery, and their branches like profunda femoris, circumflex femoral artery, anterior tibial artery are described in detail.
• Corresponding superficial veins, like great saphenous vein, small saphenous vein, are discussed with their locations.

Nerves of the Lower Limb

• Nerves of the lower limb like femoral nerve, saphenous nerve, obturator nerve, tibial nerve, common fibular nerve, superficial fibular nerve, and sural nerve are detailed.
• Their distribution and functions are described.
• Deeper nerves like the sciatic nerve and its superior/inferior gluteal and pudendal branches are also given in detail.

Movements at Ankle and Subtalar Joints

• Plantarflexion and dorsiflexion movements at the ankle joint, as well as inversion and eversion in subtalar joint are described and related muscles are listed.
• Toe flexion and extension are also mentioned along with the muscles which control these movements.

Bones of the Foot

• Bones of the foot, namely tarsals (calcaneus, talus, navicular, cuboid, cuneiforms) and metatarsals, are described and pictured with their individual roles and shapes.

Skeletal Radiographs

• Radiographs demonstrating anatomical details of the lower limb skeletal system are presented with their labeled parts (e.g., hip joint, femur, tibia, fibula).

CT scan and Sagittal View

• These are explained in the context of the lower limb.