THE POSTERIOR LIMB 281 



muscle, and then turns and extends distad through the thigh, where 

 it Hes on the lateral surfaces of the adductores magnus and longus. 

 It distributes branches to the posterior musculature of the thigh. In 

 the proximal portion of the thigh it divides into two chief branches, 

 which are closely associated as far as the knee. The anterior 

 branch is the peroneal nerve (n. peronaeus), the posterior branch 

 the tibial nerve (n. tibialis). The lesser saphenous nerve (p. 288) 

 is a small branch given off from the tibial above the knee-joint. 



For the origin of this and related nerves see p. 289. 



The superior gluteal nerve (n. glutaeus superior) appears in 

 the greater sciatic notch, leaving the sciatic close to the inferior 

 posterior spine of the ilium. It passes between the glutaeus mini- 

 mus and the lateral surface of the ilium, ending in the tensor fasciae 

 latae. Its branches are distributed to the glutaei medius and 

 minimus and the piriformis muscles. 



The inferior gluteal nerve (n. glutaeus inferior) perforates the 

 posterior portion of the piriformis, and is distributed to the glutaeus 

 maximus. 



The posterior cutaneous nerve (n. cutaneus femoris posterior) 

 accompanies the sciatic artery backward to the ischial tuber- 

 osity, where it turns to the posterior margin of the thigh and the 

 medial surface of the sciatic vein, ending in branches to the 

 skin. 



The gluteal nerves originate from a loop connecting the seventh 

 lumbar and the first sacral nerves and the posterior cutaneous 

 nerve is described as having the same connection in the rabbit. 

 The latter nerve may be found, however, connected chiefly with 

 the second and third sacral nerves (as in various other mammals, 

 such as the cat) and associated with the pudendal and visceral 

 branches. The last-mentioned arrangement is shown in figure 106. 



The pudendal nerve (n. pudendus) accompanies the sciatic 

 artery and afterwards the internal pudendal to the penis or clitoris. 



The inguinal lymph nodes were observed at an earlier stage of the dissection 

 (p. 221). These and a popliteal lymph node receive the subcutaneous lymph 

 vessels of the hind limb, which can be seen only if specially injected. From them, 

 lymph vessels run to a group of small iliac lymph nodes associated with the 

 common iliac arteries and veins, into which nodes also the deep lymph vessels 

 of the limb are emptied and from which arise lumbar trunks running forward 

 in the lateral walls of the aorta. 



