TOPOGRAPHICAL ANATOMY OF

THE LOWER LIMB

Václav Báča, David Kachlík

Tereza Smržová, Martin Holek, Katarina Hubčíkova, Radek Jakša

Department of Anatomy, Third Faculty of Medicine,

Charles University in Prague

supported by grant FRVS 1101/2008/F3

FORAMEN ISCHIADICUM MAJUS
(greater sciatic foramen)

BORDERS: CONTENT:

VENTRO-LATERAL:
incisura ischiadica major ossis coxae m. piriformis
DORSO-MEDIAL:
divides the foramen into
lig. sacrotuberale two following parts
CAUDAL:
lig. sacrospinale
FORAMEN SUPRAPIRIFORME
BORDERS: CONTENT:

VENTRO-LATERAL:
incisura ischiadica major ossis coxae
nervus gluteus sup.
DORSO-MEDIAL:
lig. sacrotuberale
arteria glutea sup.
CAUDAL:
m. piriformis
vena glutea sup.
 FORAMEN INFRAPIRIFORME
BORDERS: CONTENT:

CRANIAL: nervus ischiadicus

m. piriformis
nervus pudendus
VENTRO-LATERAL:
incisura ischiadica major ossis nervus gluteus inf.
coxae
nervus cutaneus femoris post.
DORSO-MEDIAL:
lig. sacrotuberale arteria glutea inf.

CAUDAL: vena glutea inf.

lig. sacrospinale
arteria pudenda int.

vena pudenda int.

FORAMEN ISCHIADICUM MINUS
(lesser sciatic foramen)

BORDERS: CONTENT:

VENTRO-LATERAL:
incisura ischiadica minor ossis coxae nervus pudendus
DORSO-MEDIAL:
lig. sacrotuberale arteria pudenda int.
vena pudenda int.

m. obturatorius internus
 CANALIS OBTURATORIUS
BORDERS: CONTENT:

nervus obturatorius
membrana obturatoria covering
foramen obturatum is missing in the
area of sulcus obturatorius
vena obturatoria
creating the canal

arteria obturatoria
 LACUNA VASORUM
(vascular space)

separated from pelvis with femoral septum

BORDERS:
CONTENT:
VENTRAL:
lig. inguinale /Pouparti, Vesalii, Fallopii/ nodus lymph. inguinalis prof.
/Cloqueti s. Rosenmülleri/
LATERAL:
arcus iliopectineus
vena femoralis
MEDIAL
lig. lacunare /Gimbernati/ arteria femoralis

DORSAL: ramus femoralis n. genitofemoralis

lig. pectineale /Cooperi/ + os coxae

 CANALIS FEMORALIS
medial part of lacuna vasorum

BORDERS: CONTENT:

MEDIAL: nodus lymph. inguinalis prof.

lig. lacunare /Gimbernati/
/Cloqueti s. Rosenmülleri/
LATERAL:
v. femoralis femoral hernia would occur here
aditus: anulus femoralis

exitus: hiatus saphenus

 LACUNA MUSCULORUM
(muscular space)

BORDERS: CONTENT:

VENTRAL: nervus femoralis

lig. inguinale /Pouparti, Vesalii, Fallopii/

DORSAL: musculus iliopsoas

os coxae

MEDIAL:
nervus cutaneus femoris
arcus iliopectineus
lat.
 CANALIS PUDENDALIS
/Alcock´s canal/

BORDERS: CONTENT:

in fossa ischioanalis, in fascia at the

nervus pudendus
mediocaudal border of m. obturator
internus
vena pudenda interna

arteria pudenda interna

 TRIGONUM FEMORALE
(Femoral triangle)
/fossa Scarpae major/
BORDERS: CONTENT:

musculus adductor longus (med.)

PROXIMAL:
lig. inguinale musculus sartorius (lat.)
nervus obturatorius
MEDIAL:
m. adductor longus arteria et vena obturatoria

nodi lymphoidei inguinales profundi

LATERAL:
m. sartorius vena et arteria femoralis + their branches

nervus femoralis + its branches

nervus cutaneus femoris lat.

 FOSSA ILIOPECTINEA
/fossa Scarpae minor/
at the bottom of the femoral triangle

BORDERS: CONTENT:

LATERAL: vena femoralis

m. iliopsoas

MEDIAL:
arteria femoralis
m. pectineus

BOTTOM-DORSALY:
fascia iliopectinea
 HIATUS SAPHENUS
(Saphenous opening)

BORDERS: CONTENT:

vena epigastrica supf. (prox.)

passage to fossa liopectinea
through arteria pudenda externa supf.
fascia cribrosa venae pudendae ext. (med.)
(part of fascia lata femoris)
vena circumflexa ilium supf. (lat.)
margo falciformis (lat.)

vena saphena magna (dist.)

 CANALIS ADDUCTORIUS
/Hunter´s canal/
BORDERS:
CONTENT:
MEDIAL:
vena femoralis
m. adductor longus

LATERAL: arteria femoralis

m. vastus medialis

VENTRAL: nervus saphenus /pierces

lamina vastoadductoria lamina vastoadductoria
together with branch of
DORSAL: a. genus descendens/
m. adductor magnus

canal is covered by m. sartorius

 HIATUS ADDUCTORIUS
BORDERS: CONTENT:

arteria femoralis
distal end of adductor canal vena femoralis
between two insertion changed in
tendons of m.adductor
magnus
arteria poplitea
vena poplitea
 FOSSA POPLITEA
(Popliteal fossa)

BORDERS: CONTENT:

MEDIAL AND PROXIMAL: nervus ischiadicus

m. semimembranosus
m.semitendinosus
divides into
nervus tibialis and nervus
LATERAL AND PROXIMAL: fibularis
m. biceps femoris communis
DISTAL: vena poplitea + its tributaries
caput mediale et laterale m. gastrocnemii

BOTTOM-DORSAL:
arteria poplitea + its branches
m. popliteus
nodi lymphoidei popliteales
profundi
 ARCUS TENDINEUS M. SOLEI
(tendinous arch of soleus muscle)

BORDERS: CONTENT:

tendinous arch in the origin of

m. soleus stretchted from fibula to the nervus tibialis
posterior surface of tibia above the
membrana interossea cruris
arteria tibialis post.

vena tibialis post.

 CANALIS MUSCULOFIBULARIS
/Hyrtl´s canal/

BORDERS: CONTENT:

LATERAL: vena fibularis

fibula

MEDIALLY:
arteria fibularis
m. flexor hallucis longus
 STRUCTURES BEHIND THE MEDIAL
MALLEOLUS
(Tarsal canal)

BORDERS: CONTENT:

MEDIAL: malleolus medialis (ventr.)

retinaculum musculorum flexorum
tuber calcanei (dors.) - tendo m.
VENTRAL: tibialis post.
malleolus medialis tendo m. flexoris digitorum longi

DORSAL: arteria vena tibialis post.

tuber calcanei vena tibialis post.
n. tibialis

tendo m. flexoris hallucis longi

/the only tendon not leaning
against the malleolus/
STRUCTURES IN FRONT OF THE
MEDIAL MALLEOLUS
CONTENTS:

BORDERS:
ventrally of retinaculum mm.
Extensorum:
VENTRAL:
retinaculum mm. extensorum vena saphena magna

DORSAL: nervus saphenus

malleolus medialis
dorsally of retinaculum mm.
ext.:

musculus tibialis ant.

 STRUCTURES BEHIND THE
LATERAL MALLEOLUS
BORDERS: CONTENT:

LATERAL: SUPERFICIAL:
retinaculum musculorum fibularium vena saphena parva
sup. et inf. nervus suralis

VENTRAL: DEEP: (under retinacula)

malleolus lateralis
tendo m. fibularis longi et brevis

DORSAL: /in common tendon sheath/

tuber calcanei
 LISFRANK´S JOINT
complex of art. tarsometatarsales and art.
intermetatarsales

CHOPART´S JOINT
(art. tarsi transversa)
art. calcaneocuboidea + talonavicular part of
art. talocalcaneonavicularis