A femoral and sciatic nerve block provide analgesia to where?

• A. Proximal to the hip
• B. The knee only
• C. Distal to the mid shaft of the femur
• D. The foot and toes

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that nerve blocks give analgesia to the areas those nerves normally supply. The femoral nerve provides sensation to the anterior thigh and the knee (and, via the saphenous branch, part of the medial leg), while the sciatic nerve covers the posterior thigh, the entire leg, and most of the foot. When you block both, you numb from around the knee downward through the leg and into the foot. That means the region distal to the mid-shaft of the femur—essentially the knee, lower leg, and foot—is covered, whereas proximal areas near the hip and proximal thigh are not fully anesthetized by these two blocks alone.