676 



XERVES OF THE LOWER LIMB. 



6. The muscular branches are given off under cover of the biceps muscle ; they 

 supply the flexors of the leg, viz., the biceps, semitendinosug, and semimembranosus. 

 A branch is likewise given to the adductor magnus. t 



TNTERNAL POPLITEAL NERVE. 



The internal popliteal nerve, the larger of the two divisions of the great 

 sciatic nerve, following the same direction as the parent trunk, continues 

 along the middle of the popliteal space to the lower border of the popliteus 

 muscle, beneath which point the continuation of the trunk receives the 

 name of posterior tibial. The interior popliteal nerve lies at first at a 

 considerable distance from the popliteal artery, 

 Fig. 447. at the outer side and nearer to the surface ; but, 



from the knee-joint downwards, the nerve, 

 continuing a straight course, is close behind 

 the artery, and then crosses it rather to the 

 inner side. 



Fig. 447. POSTERIOR CUTANEOUS NERVES OF THE LEG 

 (from Sappey after Hirschfeld and Leveille). 



1, internal popliteal division of the great seiatic nerve ; 

 2, branch to the internal part of the gastrocnemius 

 muscle ; 3, 4, branches to the external part and plan- 

 taris ; 5, communicating branch to the external saphe- 

 neous nerve ; 6, external popliteal nerve ; 7, cutaneous 

 branch ; 8, communicating branch descending to unite 

 with that from the internal popliteal in, 9, the external 

 saphenous nerve ; 10, calcaneal branch from this nerve ; 

 11, calcaneal and plantar cutaneous branches from the 

 posterior tibial nerve; 12, internal saphenous nerve; 

 13, posterior branches of this nerve. 



The inner division of the sciatic nerve, from its 

 commencement to its partition at the foot, is often 

 described in anatomical works under the same appel- 

 lation throughout ; the name varying, however, with 

 different writers, as for example, " cruralis internus," 

 or " popliteus internus," Winslow : " tibialis pos- 

 terior," Haller : " tibialis vel tibieus," Fischer, &c. 



Branches. The internal popliteal nerve sup- 

 plies branches to the knee-joint and to the 

 muscles of the calf of the leg, and also part of 

 a cutaneous branch, the external or short sa- 

 phenous nerve. 



ARTICULAR SERVES. The articular branches are 

 generally three in number ; two of these accompany 

 the upper and lower articular arteries of the inner 

 side of the knee-joint, the third follows the middle 



or azygos artery. These nerves pierce the ligamentous tissue of the joint. The 



upper one is often wanting. 



MUSCULAR BRANCHES. The muscular branches of the internal popliteal 

 nerve arise behind the knee-joint, while the nerve is between the heads of 

 the gastrocnemius muscle. 



a. The nerves to the gastrocnemius consist of two branches, which separate, one 

 to supply each part of the muscle. 



