Anatomy Flashcards
Digital arteries are _____ arteries
end
Define an end artery, why is it clinically important to know about these?
The only blood supply to a given area of the body (no collaterals) untreated occlusion of an end artery results in infarction of the area of tissue it supplies and therefore amputation may be needed. True end arteries are found in the fingers, false end arteries are found in the heart.
Why is it important to know the position of pulse points?
If someone is bleeding you can limit blood loss by applying pressure proximal to the site of injury.
Where can you feel the carotid pulse?
Bifurcation of the common carotid artery - anterior to sternocleidomastoid muscle at level of upper border of thyroid cartilage
Where can you feel the brachial pulse?
Medial to biceps tendon in the cubital fossa
Where can you feel the radial pulse?
Lateral to tendon of flexor carpi radialis
Where can you feel the femoral pulse?
Inferior to midpoint of inguinal ligament
Where can you feel the popliteal pulse?
In popliteal fossa (immediately posterior to knee)
Where can you feel the posterior tibial pulse?
Between the posterior border of the medial malleolus & the achilles tendon
Where can you feel the dorsalis pedis pulse?
Lateral to tendon of extensor hallucis longus distal to the ankle joint
Ischaemia can be caused by two things which are?
Reduced arterial perfusion pressure and increased venous drainage pressure
Describe superficial veins characteristics
Smaller, thinner
Run in superficial fascia
Highly variable
Drain into deep veins
Describe deep veins characteristics
Larger, thicker
Run deep to deep fascia
More predictable
Often occur in Neurovascular bundles
Describe superficial fascia
- Loose connective tissue and fat
- Varies in depth throughout body sites and throughout people
- Contains superficial blood vessels, cutaneous nerves, lymphatics and sweat glands
Describe deep fascia
- Relatively tough and sheet like
- Dense connective tissue
- Usually white, sometimes glistening appearance
- Covers most of the body deep to skin and superficial fascia
- Named
Where don’t you have much deep fascia?
The face
What area of the body contains specialised deep fascia?
The abdomen
What is the dorsal venous network
A network of veins in the superficial fascia on the dorsum of hand formed by the dorsal metacarpal veins. It is found on the back of the hand and gives rise to veins such as the cephalic vein and the basilic vein.
The cephalic vein arises from __1____ it runs on ____2___ it drains into ___3____
1) dorsal venous network
2) lateral aspect of the limb on the deltopectoral groove
3) axillary vein
The basilic vein arises from ____1____ it runs on the _____2____ it drains into the _____3______
1) dorsal venous network
2) medial aspect of the limb
3) brachial vein at the level of mid arm
What are the two superficial veins of the lower limb?
Great and small saphenous veins (most tributaries are unnamed)
The great saphenous vein arises from ___1____ it ascends ______2_____ and passes posterior ______3_____ it drains into the _____4______
1) the dorsal venous arch
2) anterior to the medial malleolus
3) to the medial condyle of the femur (about a hand’s breadth posterior to the medial border of the patella)
4) femoral vein in the femoral triangle
The small saphenous vein arises from ____1____ and runs _____2____ and drains into _____3_______
1) the dorsal venous arch
2) posterior to the midline of the leg
3) popliteal vein posterior to the knee
What are vein comitantes?
veins that lie on the sides of arteries so they can benefit from the artery pulsation which aids venous return
What is meant by the musculovenous pump?
Big veins lie between muscles so when they contract it helps push the blood back up to the heart
If there is venous insufficiency in deep veins you get ____1_____ if there venous insufficiency in superficial veins you get ___2____
1) thrombosis and embolism
2) venous ulceration
Describe venous ulceration
- Venous pressure increases
- Damages blood vessels in skin
- Skin becomes dry, itchy and inflamed
- Cannot heal well due to poor blood supply
- Begins to break down
Most venous ulceration tends to occur in ___1___ whereas arterial ulceration usually occurs in ____2______
1) gaiter area (medial aspect of the distal leg)
2) foot
Describe the difference consequences if a thrombus occludes - small peripheral artery, segmental artery, lobar artery, pulmonary artery, pulmonary trunk.
Small peripheral artery
Small wedge infarction
Segmental artery
Bronchopulmonary segment infarction
Lobar artery
E.g. middle lobe infarction
Pulmonary artery
Infarction of one lung
Pulmonary trunk
Complete occlusion by a saddle embolus arrests the circulation
