Anaesthesia Fundamentals | Anatomy | Lumbosacral Plexus, Nerve Supply to the Leg and Foot

Lumbosacral Plexus, Nerve Supply to the Leg and Foot
Session Overview
Description
This session describes the sensory and motor nerve supply of the lower limb and foot. This knowledge is essential for the successful performance of lower limb blocks.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Describe the structure of the lumbosacral plexus
• Describe the common pathways and relationships of the femoral nerve, obturator nerve and sciatic nerve
• Describe the sensory supply to the lower limb and foot
• List common anatomical variations of the lumbosacral plexus and its branches

The peripheral nerves supplying the lower limb and foot originate from the lumbar and sacral plexus. Knowledge of the nerve supply to the leg and foot is prerequisite in a number of clinical situations:

• The dermatomal distribution of the spinal nerves is essential when considering neuroaxial blockade
• The cutaneous nerve distribution of peripheral nerves is essential when considering peripheral nerve blockade
• The anatomical relationships and the pathways of the peripheral nerves is essential when performing regional anaesthesia