Popliteal artery
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| Artery: Popliteal artery | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The arteries of the gluteal and posterior femoral regions. (Popliteal labeled at bottom center.) | |
 | |
| Lymph glands of popliteal fossa. | |
| Latin | arteria poplitea |
| Gray's | subject #159 632 |
| Source | femoral artery |
| Branches | anterior tibial, posterior tibial artery, sural, superior genicular (medial, lateral), middle genicular, inferior genicular (medial, lateral) |
| Vein | popliteal vein |
| MeSH | Popliteal+Artery |
| Dorlands / Elsevier | a_61/12155539 |
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In human anatomy, the popliteal artery is defined as the extension of the femoral artery after passing through the adductor canal and adductor hiatus above the knee. The termination of the popliteal artery is its bifurcation into the anterior tibial artery and posterior tibial artery.
The popliteal artery, through numerous smaller branches, supplies blood to the knee joint and muscles in the thigh and calf. It is accompanied, along its length, by the popliteal vein.
Branches
The branches of the popliteal artery are:
- anterior tibial artery
- posterior tibial artery
- sural artery
- medial superior genicular artery
- lateral superior genicular artery
- middle genicular artery
- lateral inferior genicular artery
- medial inferior genicular artery
Tibial-fibular trunk
The fibular artery typically arises from the posterior tibial artery.[1] Therefore, the posterior tibial artery proximal to the fibular artery origin is sometimes called the tibial-peroneal trunk or tibial-fibular trunk and it could be said that the popliteal artery bifurates into the tibial-fibular trunk and anterior tibial artery.
Embryology
Embryologically, the popliteal artery is derived from the fetal sciatic artery, which is distinct from the femoral artery.
Pulse
Its pulse can be palpated behind the knee, but is generally more challenging to find than other arteries of the leg.
Additional images
 The popliteal, posterior tibial, and peroneal arteries. |
See also
External link
- SUNY Figs 12:04-10 - "Arteries of the lower extremity shown in association with major landmarks."
- Popliteal+artery at eMedicine Dictionary
- Image at umich.edu - pulse
List of arteries of lower limbs | |
|---|---|
| EI: Femoral | superficial epigastric - superficial iliac circumflex
external pudendal: superficial - deep (anterior scrotal) profunda femoris: lateral circumflex femoral (descending, transverse, ascending) - medial circumflex femoral (ascending, superficial, deep, acetabular) - perforating descending genicular (saphenous branch, articular branches) |
| Popliteal | sural genicular: superior genicular (medial, lateral) - middle genicular - inferior genicular (medial, lateral) |
| Anterior tibial | tibial recurrent (posterior, anterior)
anterior malleolar (medial, lateral) dorsalis pedis: tarsal (medial, lateral) |
| Posterior tibial | circumflex fibular - fibular medial plantar - lateral plantar |
| Arches | arcuate: dorsal metatarsal/first dorsal metatarsal - deep plantar - dorsal digital arteries plantar arch: plantar metatarsal - common plantar digital - proper plantar digital |
References
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
