Module 33: Lower Extremity I – Neurovasculature | Pelvis and Hip
Module 33: Lower Extremity I – Neurovasculature | Pelvis and Hip
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this class, students will be able to:
- Describe the pelvic bones and their features.
- Describe the features of the femur.
- Explain the anatomy of the hip joint.
- Describe the sciatic nerve, its branches, and the structures that its branches innervate.
- Describe the femoral and obturator nerves and the structures they innervate.
- Describe the arteries that supply the lower extremity.
- Explain venous return from the deep and superficial regions of the lower extremity.
Terms to Know
|
Bones of the Pelvis
Coxal (hip) joint
Proximal Femur
|
Nerves of the Lower Extremity
Vasculature of the Lower Extremity
Other Terms
*Covered only in lecture, not in this text |
Like the upper limb, the lower limb is divided into three regions.
- Thigh: portion of the lower limb located between the hip joint and knee joint
- Leg: specifically the region between the knee joint and the ankle joint
- Foot: distal to the ankle
Coxal Bone
This content will be covered in the assignment and briefly reviewed in lecture for this and the following modules.
The paired coxal bones are the large, curved bones that form the lateral and anterior aspects of the pelvis. Each adult coxal bone is formed by three separate bones that fuse together during the late teenage years. These bony components are the ilium, ischium, and pubis. These names are retained and used to define the three regions of the adult coxal bone. The ilium is the fan-like, superior region that forms the largest part of the hip bone. It is firmly united to the sacrum at the largely immobile sacroiliac joint. The ischium forms the posteroinferior region of each hip bone. It supports the body when sitting. The pubis forms the anterior portion of the hip bone. The pubis curves medially, where it joins to the pubis of the opposite hip bone at a specialized joint called the pubic symphysis.
Ilium
When you place your hands on your waist, you can feel the arching, superior margin of the ilium along your waistline. This curved, superior margin of the ilium is the iliac crest. The rounded, anterior termination of the iliac crest is the anterior superior iliac spine. This bony landmark can be felt as the point at your anterolateral hip. Inferior to the anterior superior iliac spine is a rounded protuberance called the anterior inferior iliac spine. Posteriorly, the iliac crest curves downward to terminate as the posterior superior iliac spine. Muscles and ligaments surround but do not cover this bony landmark, so it sometimes appears as a depression or “dimple” located on the lower back. More inferiorly is the posterior inferior iliac spine. Both the posterior superior and posterior inferior iliac spines serve as attachment points for the very strong ligaments that support the sacroiliac joint.
The winged upper portion of the ilium that flares upward and laterally is called the ala. The shallow depression located on the ant