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Welcome to Neuroanatomy in Physical Therapy. I am Dr. Annie Burke-Doe, a practicing physical therapist and an associate professor at the
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in San Diego, California.
This lecture series has been developed for physical therapists embarking on the study of neurology. In this lecture we will focus on the lumbar and
sacral plexus, which provides nervous innervation to the lower limb.
The plexus is formed lateral to the intervertebral foramina (which are not pictured here) and pass through psoas major. Its smaller motor branches are
distributed directly to the psoas major, while larger branches leave the muscle at various sites to run obliquely downward through the pelvic area and
leave the pelvis under the inguinal ligament, with the exception of the obturator nerve, which exits the pelvis through the obturator foramen.
I would like you to begin by tracing the largest and longest nerve in the plexus, the femoral nerve, with your finger. That way you can follow its
pathway. You can see that it gives motor innervation to iliopsoas (which refers to both the psoas and iliacus at their inferior ends), pectineus, sartorius,
and the quadriceps muscle group. Motor functions of the femoral nerve include hip flexion at L2-3 (lift my knee) and knee extension at L3-4 (kick the
door).
Next, trace the obturator nerve with your finger as it leaves the lumbar plexus and descends behind the psoas major on its medial side, then travels
into the lesser pelvis, and finally leaves the pelvic area through the obturator canal. In the thigh, it sends motor branches to obturator externus before
dividing into an anterior and posterior branch, both of which will continue distally. These branches are separated by adductor brevis and supply all the
thigh adductors with motor innervation, including pectineus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, adductor minimus, and gracilis.
The obturator nerve (pictured in darker blue) has an anterior branch that supplies the skin on the medial, distal part of the thigh.
When testing sensation clinically, it is also important to link the dermatomes (which are pictured on the left) to provide the clinician information
related to the spinal level involved.
Trace your finger beginning at L4-5 to see that the posterior division leads to the superior gluteal nerve, which innervates the gluteus medius,
minimus, and tensor fasciae latae, whose actions are abducting and medial rotation of your thigh. As you continue to travel down with your finger,
you will find the inferior gluteal nerve, which innervates the gluteus maximus, and whose actions are to extend and laterally rotate the thigh, as well
as to extend the lower trunk. You will now descend down to the sciatic and common peroneal nerve. Now follow the anterior division of the tibial
nerve that innervates the lower extremity, which will be discussed further as we go forward.
Clinically, in sciatic neuropathy, there is weakness of all foot and ankle muscles, of knee flexion, loss of Achilles tendon reflexes, and sensory loss in
the foot and lateral leg below the knee. The term “sciatica” is a vague term and refers to all disorders causing painful paresthesias in a sciatic
distribution.
Below the soleus muscle, the nerve lies close to the tibia and supplies tibialis posterior, the flexor digitorum longus, and flexor hallucis longus. The
nerve passes into the foot running posterior to the medial malleolus. Here it is bound down by the flexor retinaculum in company with the posterior
tibial artery.
In the foot, the nerve divides into medial and lateral plantar branches. Motor functions of the tibial nerve include foot plantar flexion and inversion
and toe flexion.
The lateral plantar nerve cutaneous innervation is to the lateral sole and lateral one-and-a-half toes, like the ulnar nerve.
The common peroneal nerve divides into the superficial peroneal nerve and the deep peroneal nerve.
The superficial peroneal nerve supplies the muscles of the lateral compartment of the leg, including peroneus longus and peroneus brevis. These two
muscles help in eversion and plantar flexion of the foot. The deep peroneal nerve innervates the muscles of the anterior compartment of the leg,
which are tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, extensor digitorum longus, and peroneus tertius. Together these muscles are responsible for
dorsiflexion of the foot and extension of the toes.
Clinically, peroneal nerve palsy can cause drop foot with weakness of foot dorsiflexion and eversion and sensory loss over the dorsolateral foot and
shin. An ankle foot orthotic may improve function if the foot drop is significant.
Slide 10: The Common Peroneal Nerve with Superficial and Deep Peroneal Sensory Distribution
Depicted here on slide 10, the common peroneal nerve supplies sensation to the lateral and anterior surfaces of the upper part of the leg. The
superficial peroneal nerve supplies sensation to the distal third of the leg and the dorsum of the foot, while the deep peroneal nerve supplies
contiguous sides of the first and second toes.
She was referred to physical therapy one month later for evaluation of her right lower extremity weakness and numbness in her thigh. She described
her pain as moderate in her groin and anterior thigh.
• One month ago, the patient underwent femoral catheterization and angioplasty with resulting lower extremity weakness, sensory changes, and
groin pain.
• On the third day after her admission, a neurologic examination and a CT scan of her pelvis identified a right retroperitoneal hematoma
involving the iliacus muscle extending to the iliac crest with surgical evacuation.
Social History:
Medication:
Family History:
Vital Signs:
Which of the following nerves are responsible for this patient’s weakness in the quadriceps musculature?
A. Sciatic
B. Obturator
C. Femoral
D. Tibial
1. 0/5 left tibialis anterior and extensor hallucis longus, 3/5 left foot evertors
2. Decreased pinprick sensation on the dorsum of the right foot especially pronounced in the web space between the second toes
Is it:
A. Tibial nerve
B. Obturator nerve
C. Femoral nerve
D. Sciatic nerve
Slide 23: Case 2: Sally Has Numbness and Pain with Pregnancy
Slide 24: Case 2: Sally’s Case Presentation
Sally is a 25-year-old female, who, one day after giving birth, developed a burning pain and numbness in her left lateral thigh, which increased when
ambulating.
She was referred to physical therapy for evaluation of her left lower extremity pain and numbness in her thigh.
Her social history includes the fact that she’s married, and she plans to stay at home and care for her newborn.
The only medication she is currently taking is ibuprofen, and she has a family history of diabetes.
Her vitals:
Which of the following nerve roots should be considered in the differential diagnosis as a source of the patient’s key signs and symptoms?
A. L1 myotome
B. L2 myotome
C. L3 myotome
D. L4 myotome
E. Both B and C myotomes
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