Anatomy 1 Bones and Joints of the Lower Limb
Links:
Status: v103
Time: 2025-03-24
Tags: lecturenotes msk anatomy
Links: The Lower Limb
Flashcards
Content:
Objectives:
- Identification of the lower limb bones
- Recognise important landmarks on the lower limb bones
- Ligaments supporting the lower limb bones
- Understand the clinical and functional anatomy of
- The hip
- Knee
- Ankle joint complex
Take 1
Overview of bones forming the lower limb:
sacrum and coccyx
pelvic bones
femur
patella
tibia
fibula
tarsl
metatarsal
phalanges
Hip/innominate bone
Ligaments
Gateways
Hip joint
Acetabular labrum
fibrocarilagenous ring attached tothe bony acetabular ring
Capsule and ligaments
blood supply to hip joint
Medial circumflex femoral arteries
Lateral circumflex femoral artery
obturator artery
retinacular arteries (branches of MCFA and LCFA)
knee joint
synovial bicondylar
made of condyles of femur tibia patella
special features: menisci
mcl is partially capsular and attached to meniscus
LCL is extracapsular
Take 2
Identification of the lower limb bones
- hip
- sacrum
- coccyx
- hip bone
- lower limb
- femur
- patella
- tibia
- fibula
- Foot
- tarsals
- talus
- calcaneus
- navicular
- cuboid
- medial intermediate and lateral cuneiform bones
- 5 metatarsals
- 14 phalanges
- tarsals
Recognise important landmarks on the lower limb bones
Landmarks of the Hip bone
anterior superior iliac spine
anterior inferior iliac spine
posterior inferior iliac spine
posterior superior iliac spine
iliac fossa
gluteal surface
ischial spine
greater sciatic notch
lesser sciatic notch
articular surface for sacroiliac joint
articular surface for the pubic symphysis
pubic tubercle
ischial tiuberosity
obturator canal -> obturator membrane on top of obturator foramen
acetabulum
Pelvic joints
- Pelvic girdle
- Description:
- formed by 2 hip bones and sacrum
- sacroiliac joint
- Description:
- ventrally synovial
- supported by the anterior sacroiliac joint.
- dorsally fibrous
- strong interosseus sacroiliac ligament
- posterior sacroiliac ligament
- ventrally synovial
- Description:
- Pelvic symphysis:
- description:
- cartilaginous/fibrocartilaginous
- supported by the superior/interior pubic ligaments and the pubic symphysis
- description:
- Description:
Pelvic Ligaments
sacroilliac
anterior sacroiliac
interosseus sacroiliac ligament
posterior sacroiliac ligament
these 2 crisscross to make greater and lesser sciatic foramen
sacrospinous ligament
sacrum to ischial spine
sacrotuberous ligament
posterior superior and inferior iliac spines and sacrum to ischial tuberosity
obturator
obturator membrane
pubic symphysis
inguinal ligement
superior and inferior pubic ligaments
4 major entry and exit points to the lower limb
greater and lesser sciatic foramen
obturator canal
gap between the inguinal ligament and the pelvic bone
Hip joint
synovial ball and socket joint
components
- head of femur
- acetabulum of pelvic bone
special feature: acetabular labrum
contact surface is between the head of the femur and the lunate surface.
the head of the femur is held in place by the acetabular labrum as well as capsule and capsular ligaments
acetabular labrum attaches to the rim of the acetabulum
labrum deepens the socket promoting congruency
blood supplied via acetabular branch of obturator artery. artery of the ligament of the head goes by the ligament of the head of the femur
goes to the fovea capitis. all goes through the acetabular foramen created by the transverse acetabular ligament and the acetablar fossa
artery of the head of the femur supplies the epiphysis/ cartilage
medial and lateral circumflex arteries supply the neck of the femur and can be severed by a hip fracture
fracture types
image

Femur
landmarks:
head of femur
fovea
neck of femur
subcapital ares
greater trochanter
lesser trochanter
intertrochanteric line
intertrochanteric crest
linea aspera
medial and lateral circumflex supplies inferiorly to the epiphysial plate
artery of the head of the femur superiorly to epiphyseal plate
Knee joint
synovial bicondylar joint
components
- femoral condyles
- tibial condyles
- patella
special features: menisci (medial and lateral)
menisci are both Cshaped yet still allow contact between the articular cartilage of the epicondyles
they improve join congruency which distributes axial load and allow shock absorption
the MCL is fused with the medial meniscus
stablizers of the knee joint include the ACL PCL MCL and LCL, as well as the patellar ligament and popliteal tendon
Bursae and fatpads
bursae reduce friction and fat pads cushion the joint
suprapatellar bursa connects to the knee joint cavity
patella can dislocate and the joint in general can be injured
Leg
Tibia
articulates with the femur talus and fibula
weight bearing
forms the medial mallous
anterior subcutaneous surface (forms the shin)
Fibula
articulates with the tibia and talus
no weight bearing function
forms the lateral malleolus
connected to the tibia with the superior and inferior tibiofibular joints as well as the interosseous membrane
the interossueam membrane holds tib fib together provides muscle attachment force transmission? and seperates the compartments
Ankle complex
Talocrural joint
the talocrural joint is a synovial hinge joint and as the components of the medial malleolus lateral malleolus, distal tibia and talus (trochlear surface)
can only plantarflex and dorsiflex
Subtalar joint
complex joint with multiple surfaces
components: talus and calcaneus
movements are inversion and eversion
Talocalcaneonavicular joint
basically same as previous but with the navicular articular surfaces
Ligaments supporting ankle
Medial (prevents valgus force (abduction))
Deltoid ligament
attaches to tibial malleolus
one ligament but split into 4 parts per what it connects to
- navicular
- calcaneal
- Anterior tibiotalar
- Posterior tibiotalar (connects to the medial tubercle of the talus)
Plantar calcaneonavicular ligament
attaches the tuberosity of the navicular bone and the sustentaculum tali of the calcaneous bone
Lateral (prevents varus force (adduction))
3 ligaments:
- calcaneofibular ligament
- anterior talofibular
- posterior talofibular (Malleolar fossa)
Joints of the foot
Intertarsal: Plane synovial
tarsometatarsal: plane synovial
metatarsophalangeal: ellipsoid
interphalangeal: hinge
Arches
3 Arches
- transverse
- medial
- lateral
Constructed from bone shape and ligaments
function is to absorb shock and distribute force
Ligaments supporting the arches
short plantar ligament
long plantar ligement
plantar aponeurosis
plantar calcaneonavicular ligament
Tibialis anterior and posterior tendons
Fibularis longus tendon