Practice Quiz - Hip & Posterior Thigh & Leg
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  1. The lesser saphenous vein was mobilized for grafting. Following the surgery, the patient complained of a loss of cutaneous sensation at the distal posterolateral side of the leg, lateral side of the foot and small toe. What nerve was damaged during the operation?
    common fibular (peroneal)
    saphenous
    superficial fibular (peroneal)
    sural
    tibial
  2. Competency of venous valves in a patient with severe crural varicose veins was tested as follows: The superficial veins were emptied by elevating the limb and then they were compressed with a band just below the saphenous opening in the proximal thigh. When the patient quickly stood up, filling of the superficial veins took more than 30 seconds. The delayed filling of the superficial veins demonstrates that the valves of the:
    deep (central) veins are competent
    deep (central) veins are incompetent
    perforating veins are competent
    perforating veins are incompetent
    superificial veins are competent
  3. A needle biopsy of the sural nerve resulted in the formation of a hematoma. Which of the following veins closely adjacent to the nerve was accidently injured?
    accessory saphenous
    femoral
    greater saphenous
    lesser saphenous
    superficial external pudendal
  4. The distal part of the lesser saphenous vein was mobilized for grafting. Following the operation, the patient complained of numbness (loss of cutaneous sensation) on the distal lateral side of the leg and the lateral side of the foot. What nerve was damaged during the operation?
    Deep fibular (peroneal)
    Posterior femoral cutaneous
    Saphenous
    Superficial fibular (peroneal)
    Sural
  5. During recovery from a gunshot wound of the right pelvis, the patient notices a lurch in his gait. When he lifts his left foot off of the ground, his pelvis dips down on the left side. The nerve that appears to have been injured is the:
    nerve to piriformis
    nerve to obturator internus
    sciatic nerve
    femoral nerve
    superior gluteal nerve
  6. The team doctor tells a football player that he has "a pulled hamstring" muscle. This results from a tearing of the origin of a hamstring muscle from the:
    sacrum
    posterior gluteal line
    ischial tuberosity
    obturator membrane
    iliac tubercle
  7. If the head of the femur is dislocated postero-medially, compression of which nerve is likely to result?
    Femoral
    Lumbosacral trunk
    Obturator
    Sciatic
    Superior gluteal
  8. What muscle passes through the lesser sciatic foramen?
    Gluteus minimus
    Obturator internus
    Piriformis
    Quadratus femoris
    Superior gemellus
  9. In order to avoid injury to the sciatic nerve, intramuscular injections should be given in which quadrant of the buttock?
    upper medial
    upper lateral
    lower medial
    lower lateral
    middle
  10. The femoral artery enters the popliteal fossa (becoming the popliteal artery) by passing through the:
    Adductor hiatus
    Femoral canal
    Femoral sheath
    Femoral triangle
    Saphenous opening
  11. The short head of biceps femoris muscle is innervated by which nerve?
    Common fibular
    Femoral
    Inferior gluteal
    Obturator
    Tibial
  12. As a patient with paralyzed gluteus medius and minimus muscles on the left side attempts to stand on the left limb only, the right side of the pelvis typically:
    Drops
    Elevates
    Rotates laterally
    Rotates medially
    Thrusts forward
  13. When the femur is fractured, the broken distal end often turns posteriorly to enter the popliteal fossa due to muscle traction. Because of its position deepest in the fossa, which structure is most vulnerable to laceration?
    Common fibular n.
    Lesser saphenous v.
    Popliteal a.
    Popliteal v.
    Tibial n.
  14. The deep femoral artery is the principle blood source for the muscles in which compartment of the thigh?
    Anterior
    Lateral (gluteal)
    Medial (adductor)
    Posterior (hamstring)
  15. After suffering a deep stab wound in the medial upper quadrant of the right buttock, an emergency room patient found walking to be very difficult. The basic problem was that, during stepping, her left hip sagged down as soon as the left foot was lifted off the ground to swing forward. What nerve was damaged?
    Femoral
    Inferior gluteal
    Obturator
    Pudendal
    Superior gluteal
  16. A fracture of the ischial tuberosity might be expected to most directly affect the muscles that produce which lower limb movement?
    Abduction at the hip
    Adduction at the hip
    Extension at the knee
    Flexion at the hip
    Flexion at the knee
  17. When, in approximately 12% of people, the common fibular nerve passes through the piriformis muscle, the nerve may be compressed. This would affect part of which muscle?
    Adductor magnus
    Biceps femoris
    Gluteus maximus
    Semimembranosus
    Semitendinosus
  18. An elderly patient complains of difficulty in walking up stairs. Tests by her doctor reveal weakness in extension at her hip, but no change in hip flexion, or flexion or extension of the knee. Based upon these results, what muscle is most likely not functioning properly.
    Adductor magnus
    Gluteus maximus
    Gluteus medius
    Iliopsoas
    Semitendinosus
  19. Weakness in climbing stairs or jumping would indicate a lesion of which nerve?
    Tibial
    Superior gluteal
    Inferior gluteal
    Obturator
    Femoral
  20. During surgical repair of a popliteal artery aneurism, ligation of the femoral artery at mid-thigh would not interrupt supply to the hamstring muscles because the
    Genicular anastomosis ensures blood supply to the posterior thigh
    Cruciate anastomosis ensures blood supply to the posterior thigh
    Perforating branches of the deep femoral artery supply the posterior thigh
    Obturator artery supplies the posterior thigh
    Anterior and posterior femoral circumflex arteries anastomose with the inferior gluteal artery
  21. The medial thigh muscles rotate the femur medially, counterbalanced by muscles of the _____________ thigh, including the ___________ muscle, which rotates the femur laterally.
    Lateral; tensor fasciae latae
    Anterior; rectus femoris
    Lateral; piriformis
    Posterior; biceps femoris
    Posterior; quadriceps femoris
  22. Following a major operation, a patient was placed on a course of antibiotics which were delivered via intramuscular injection to the buttocks. After one injection in the right buttock, the patient complained of more pain than usual in the region of the injection. Later, as he was walking in the hall, the nurse noticed that he had a limp that had not been present before--his left hip dropped every time he lifted his left foot off the floor. Which nerve had been injured by the injection?
    Femoral
    Inferior gluteal
    Obturator
    Sciatic
    Superior gluteal
  23. The hamstrings muscles are supplied by branches of which artery?
    Deep femoral
    Fibular
    Obturator
    Pudendal
    Superficial femoral
  24. Of the branches of the internal iliac artery, the one exiting from the greater sciatic foramen superior to the piriformis muscle is the:
    Iliolumbar artery
    Internal pudendal artery
    Lateral sacral artery
    Superior gluteal artery
  25. Because of its muscle attachments, a fracture to the ischial tuberosity would affect which movement of the lower limb?
    Abduction of the thigh
    Dorsiflexion of the foot
    Extension of the leg
    Flexion of the leg
    Flexion of the thigh
  26. When the distal femur is fractured, the sharp broken ends of the bone often damage the structure that lies closest to the femur in the popliteal fossa, i.e., the:
    Descending genicular artery
    Greater saphenous vein
    Popliteal artery
    Popliteal vein
    Sciatic nerve
  27. In a hunting accident, an arrow pierces the mid-calf of a hunter. A major artery is lacerated in the posterior leg, and you notice that the sole of his foot is cold and pale. The dorsum of the foot is warm and normally colored. The artery that seems to be injured is the:
    fibular artery
    posterior tibial artery
    femoral artery
    popliteal artery
    medial plantar artery
  28. A patient complains of localized pain in a swollen lower calf and cannot strongly plantar flex his foot. What tendon may have ruptured?
    calcaneal
    fibularis tertius
    flexor digitorum longus
    flexor hallucis longus
    tibialis anterior
  29. A tennis player feels a "pop" in her calf as she is playing. Her calf becomes tender and there is some slight amount of swelling. Upon examination, her physician informs her that she has ruptured the slender tendon of a small muscle that attaches to the calcaneus. She has apparently ruptured the:
    gastrocnemius
    plantaris
    popliteus
    soleus
    tibialis posterior
  30. A football player tears his calcaneal tendon. You would expect to find weakness in:
    dorsifiexion of the foot
    eversion of the foot
    extension of the knee
    inversion of the foot
    plantarflexion of the foot
  31. While on vacation in Florida following her final exams, a scuba diving medical student is accidentally speared by her diving partner. The end of the spear passes medial to lateral, posterior to the medial malleolus. It severs an artery there, which is the:
    anterior tibial
    dorsalis pedis
    fibular
    medial plantar
    posterior tibial
  32. A patient with painful swelling in the distal calf cannot plantar flex at the ankle with any power. Which tendon was likely ruptured?
    Calcaneal
    Extensor digitorum longus
    Extensor hallucis longus
    Plantaris
    Tibialis anterior