Lower limb: adductor canal: practice question

A Anatomy question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anatomy · Lower limb: adductor canal

Sample item

An anaesthetist performs an ultrasound-guided block in the mid-thigh beneath sartorius to give analgesia after knee surgery while preserving quadriceps strength. Which nerve is the principal sensory target in this canal?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Saphenous nerve

The adductor (Hunter) canal beneath sartorius contains the femoral artery and vein, the saphenous nerve and the nerve to vastus medialis. Blocking it anaesthetises the saphenous nerve and the medial knee with little loss of quadriceps power, since only the small nerve to vastus medialis is affected. This differs from a femoral nerve block, which weakens the whole quadriceps.

Option by option

  • A. Saphenous nerve (correct)

    Correct. The saphenous nerve is the sensory nerve running in the canal to the medial leg and knee.

  • B. Obturator nerve

    The obturator nerve supplies the adductors and medial thigh skin and lies outside the canal.

  • C. Posterior femoral cutaneous nerve

    The posterior femoral cutaneous nerve runs in the posterior thigh and is not in the canal.

  • D. Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve

    The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve supplies the lateral thigh and passes near the anterior superior iliac spine.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Anatomy questions

Questions about this Anatomy question

What is the answer to this Anatomy question?

The best answer is A, Saphenous nerve. The adductor (Hunter) canal beneath sartorius contains the femoral artery and vein, the saphenous nerve and the nerve to vastus medialis.

Why is "Obturator nerve" not the answer?

The obturator nerve supplies the adductors and medial thigh skin and lies outside the canal.

Why is "Posterior femoral cutaneous nerve" not the answer?

The posterior femoral cutaneous nerve runs in the posterior thigh and is not in the canal.

Why is "Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve" not the answer?

The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve supplies the lateral thigh and passes near the anterior superior iliac spine.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Lower limb: adductor canal in Anatomy. Blocking it anaesthetises the saphenous nerve and the medial knee with little loss of quadriceps power, since only the small nerve to vastus medialis is affected. This differs from a femoral nerve block, which weakens the whole quadriceps.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Lower limb: adductor canal?

Learn every nerve by its route, its muscles and what a lesion looks like at the bedside. That one habit answers a large share of questions. Then use the flashcards and the other Anatomy questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.