Lower limb: pes anserinus: 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: pes anserinus

Sample item

A runner has tenderness over the anteromedial proximal tibia just below the knee joint line. The bursa lies deep to the tendons of sartorius, gracilis and semitendinosus. Which set lists the nerves that supply these three muscles in the same order?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Femoral, obturator, tibial

The pes anserinus is the combined insertion of sartorius (femoral nerve), gracilis (obturator nerve) and semitendinosus (tibial division of the sciatic nerve). Pes anserine bursitis causes pain on the medial side of the proximal tibia. The three muscles come from three different nerve territories.

Option by option

  • A. Femoral, obturator, tibial (correct)

    Correct. Sartorius is femoral, gracilis is obturator and semitendinosus is tibial.

  • B. Femoral, superior gluteal, tibial

    The superior gluteal nerve supplies gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and tensor fasciae latae.

  • C. Femoral, obturator, common fibular

    Semitendinosus is supplied by the tibial part of the sciatic nerve, not the common fibular part.

  • D. Obturator, tibial, common fibular

    Sartorius is supplied by the femoral nerve, not the obturator, and gracilis by the obturator, not the tibial nerve.

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, Femoral, obturator, tibial. The pes anserinus is the combined insertion of sartorius (femoral nerve), gracilis (obturator nerve) and semitendinosus (tibial division of the sciatic nerve).

Why is "Femoral, superior gluteal, tibial" not the answer?

The superior gluteal nerve supplies gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and tensor fasciae latae.

Why is "Femoral, obturator, common fibular" not the answer?

Semitendinosus is supplied by the tibial part of the sciatic nerve, not the common fibular part.

Why is "Obturator, tibial, common fibular" not the answer?

Sartorius is supplied by the femoral nerve, not the obturator, and gracilis by the obturator, not the tibial nerve.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Lower limb: pes anserinus in Anatomy. Pes anserine bursitis causes pain on the medial side of the proximal tibia. The three muscles come from three different nerve territories.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. 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: pes anserinus?

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.