CLINICAL ANATOMY MCPHS - LOWER EXTREMITY 2
EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTIONS VERIFIED
What are the two branches of the sacral plexus?
Common peroneal (fibular) nerve
Tibial nerve
Describe the pathway of the common peroneal (fibular) nerve.
Sciatic nerve -> common peroneal -> wraps around head of fibula -> divides into superficial peroneal
nerve and deep peroneal nerve
What region does the superficial peroneal nerve supply?
Fibularis longus/brevis and skin of distal 1/3 of anterior leg/dorsal foot
What region does the deep peroneal nerve supply?
Anterior leg muscles, dorsum of web of feet
What injuries frequently result in common peroneal nerve damage?
Fibular head fractures, direct blows to the lateral leg
What region does the tibial nerve supply?
Posterior leg muscles, knee, and sensation on the postereolateral leg/plantar foot
What are the two branches of the tibial nerve?
,Medial plantar nerve
Lateral plantar nerve
What region does the medial plantar nerve supply?
Muscles and sensation along medial plantar foot
What region does the lateral plantar nerve supply?
Muscles and sensation along lateral plantar foot
Where does Morton's neuroma often develop?
In interdigital nerves in anastomoses between the medial and lateral plantar nerves
What three major nerves provide cutaneous sensation to the leg?
Saphenous nerve (off femoral nerve)
Sural nerve (off sciatic nerve)
Superficial branch of peroneal nerve
What cutaneous region is innervated by the saphenous nerve?
Medial surfaces of leg and foot
What cutaneous region is innervated by the sural nerve?
Posterior leg regions
What two major nerves (branches of the peroneal nerve) supply the dorsal foot?
Superficial peroneal - majority of dorsum
Deep peroneal - web of the foot (1st interdigital cleft)
What two major nerves (branches of tibial nerve) supply the plantar foot?
, Medial plantar nerve - medial plantar foot
Lateral plantar nerve - lateral plantar foot
Describe the path of blood vessels from the femoral artery to the dorsalis pedis arerty.
Femoral artery -> adductor canal -> popliteal artery -> popliteal fossa -> branches into anterior and
posterior tibial arteries -> anterior tibial artery descends anterior to interosseus membrane -> terminates
as dorsalis pedis and anastomoses with plantar arch
What is the clinical significance of the dorsalis pedis artery?
Point of palpation for the dorsalis pedis pulse
Describe the path of blood vessels from the femoral artery to the plantar arch.
Femoral artery -> adductor canal -> popliteal artery -> popliteal fossa -> branches into anterior and
posterior tibial arteries -> posterior tibial artery descends posterior to interosseus membrane ->
peroneal artery branches off at 1/3 of the way down and travels posterior to the lateral malleolus ->
posterior tibial continues down posterior to medial malleolus -> divides into medial and lateral plantar
arteries -> lateral artery forms plantar arch and anastomoses with dorsalis pedis
Where can you palpate the peroneal and posterior tibial arteries?
Malleolus (peroneal = lateral, posterior tibial = medial)
What is the weight bearing bone of the lower leg?
Tibia
What is a common clinical pathology of the tibia?
Stress fractures
EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTIONS VERIFIED
What are the two branches of the sacral plexus?
Common peroneal (fibular) nerve
Tibial nerve
Describe the pathway of the common peroneal (fibular) nerve.
Sciatic nerve -> common peroneal -> wraps around head of fibula -> divides into superficial peroneal
nerve and deep peroneal nerve
What region does the superficial peroneal nerve supply?
Fibularis longus/brevis and skin of distal 1/3 of anterior leg/dorsal foot
What region does the deep peroneal nerve supply?
Anterior leg muscles, dorsum of web of feet
What injuries frequently result in common peroneal nerve damage?
Fibular head fractures, direct blows to the lateral leg
What region does the tibial nerve supply?
Posterior leg muscles, knee, and sensation on the postereolateral leg/plantar foot
What are the two branches of the tibial nerve?
,Medial plantar nerve
Lateral plantar nerve
What region does the medial plantar nerve supply?
Muscles and sensation along medial plantar foot
What region does the lateral plantar nerve supply?
Muscles and sensation along lateral plantar foot
Where does Morton's neuroma often develop?
In interdigital nerves in anastomoses between the medial and lateral plantar nerves
What three major nerves provide cutaneous sensation to the leg?
Saphenous nerve (off femoral nerve)
Sural nerve (off sciatic nerve)
Superficial branch of peroneal nerve
What cutaneous region is innervated by the saphenous nerve?
Medial surfaces of leg and foot
What cutaneous region is innervated by the sural nerve?
Posterior leg regions
What two major nerves (branches of the peroneal nerve) supply the dorsal foot?
Superficial peroneal - majority of dorsum
Deep peroneal - web of the foot (1st interdigital cleft)
What two major nerves (branches of tibial nerve) supply the plantar foot?
, Medial plantar nerve - medial plantar foot
Lateral plantar nerve - lateral plantar foot
Describe the path of blood vessels from the femoral artery to the dorsalis pedis arerty.
Femoral artery -> adductor canal -> popliteal artery -> popliteal fossa -> branches into anterior and
posterior tibial arteries -> anterior tibial artery descends anterior to interosseus membrane -> terminates
as dorsalis pedis and anastomoses with plantar arch
What is the clinical significance of the dorsalis pedis artery?
Point of palpation for the dorsalis pedis pulse
Describe the path of blood vessels from the femoral artery to the plantar arch.
Femoral artery -> adductor canal -> popliteal artery -> popliteal fossa -> branches into anterior and
posterior tibial arteries -> posterior tibial artery descends posterior to interosseus membrane ->
peroneal artery branches off at 1/3 of the way down and travels posterior to the lateral malleolus ->
posterior tibial continues down posterior to medial malleolus -> divides into medial and lateral plantar
arteries -> lateral artery forms plantar arch and anastomoses with dorsalis pedis
Where can you palpate the peroneal and posterior tibial arteries?
Malleolus (peroneal = lateral, posterior tibial = medial)
What is the weight bearing bone of the lower leg?
Tibia
What is a common clinical pathology of the tibia?
Stress fractures
