Arteries of the Lower Extremity and Back Flashcards
Superior Gluteal Artery
Origin: Internal Iliac Artery
Course:
Emerges from the greater sciatic foramen superior to the piriforms
Runs with the nerve and vein of the same name. (these are the only structures that emerge superior to piriformis)
Runs between gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.
Inferior Gluteal Artery
Origin: Internal Iliac Artery
Course:
Emerges from the greater sciatic foramen inferior to the piriforms
Runs with the nerve and vein of the same name.
Runs between gluteus medius and gluteus maximus.
Internal Pudendal Artery
Origin: Internal Iliac Artery
Course:
Emerges from the greater sciatic foramen inferior to the piriforms
Runs around the sacrospinous ligament and then enters the lesser sciatic foramen towards the perineum
Takes this course along with the Pudendal Nerve and the Nerve to Obturator Internus.
Runs between gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.
Femoral Artery
Origin: External Iliac Artery
Course:
Continuation of the external iliac artery from the abdomen (changes names at the inguinal ligament)
Passes deep to the inguinal ligament midway between the ASIS and the pubic tubercle.
Descends into the femoral triangle where it runs between the femoral nerve and femoral vein.
At the apex of the femoral triangle, it passes deep to sartorius and runs in the subsartorial (aka adductor) canal.
Gives off many branches in the thigh (see following cards)
Ends at the Adductor hiatus by becoming the popliteal artery.
Superficial Circumflex Iliac Artery
Origin: Femoral Artery
Course:
Branches off of the femoral artery just as it enters the femoral triangle
Runs laterally towards the ASIS
Superficial and Deep External Pudendal Arteries
Origin: Femoral Artery
Course:
Branch off the Femoral Artery just after it emerges from deep to the inguinal ligament in the femoral triangle
Run medially towards the perineum
Can either originate as one trunk that splits into the superficial and deep branches or original separately from the femoral artery
Superficial Epigastric
Origin: Femoral Artery
Course:
Branches off the femoral artery just after it passes into the femoral triangle.
Runs up toward the umbilicus
Descending Genicular
Origin: Femoral Artery
Course:
Branches off the femoral artery just proximal to the popliteal fossa after the femoral artery emerges from the subsartorial canal and passes through the adductor canal
Contributes to the genicular anastomoses
Profunda Femoris
AKA deep artery of the thigh
Origin: Femoral Artery
Course:
LARGE branch from the femoral artery that branches off in the femoral triangle
Passes between pectineus and adductor longus and descends posterior to adductor longus on medial side of the femur
Gives off: perforating branches and the medial and lateral femoral circumflex arteries
Medial Femoral Circumflex
Origin: Profunda Femoris
Course:
Branches off profunda femoris in the femoral triangle
Runs between iliopsoas and pectineus
Gives off an ASCENDING BRANCH that runs toward the hip joint
Gives off a TRANSVERSE BRANCH
Lateral Femoral Circumflex
Origin: Profunda Femoris
Course:
Branches off profunda femoris in the femoral triangle
Runs laterally deep to sartorius and rectus femoris
Gives off an ASCENDING BRANCH
Gives off a TRANSVERSE BRANCH
Gives off a DESCENDING BRANCH, which contributes to the genicular anastomoses
Perforating Branches of Profunda Femoris
Origin: Profunda Femoris
Course:
4 perforating arteries arise from profunda femoris. 3 of them are branches and 1 is the termination of profunda femoris.
They perofate the adductor magnus muscle and pass into the posterior compartment of the thigh
Obturator Artery
Origin: Internal Iliac Artery
Course:
Emerges in the medial thigh via the obturator canal
Enters the medial compartment of the thigh, where it gives off anterior and posterior branches that run on either side of adductor brevis with the anterior and posterior branches of the obturator nerve
Popliteal Artery
Origin: Femoral Artery
Course:
Continuation of the femoral artery (changes names at the level of the popliteal fossa)
Emerges from the adductor hiatus
It is the deepest structure int he popliteal fossa (it is in a protected position)
Gives off several genicular branches that form the anastomoses around the knee
Genicular Arteries
Origin: Popliteal Artery
Course:
Branch off of the popliteal artery and anastomose around the knee. There are superior medial, superior lateral, middle, inferior medial, and inferior lateral branches
The superior medial and inferior medial branches anastomose with each other.
The superior lateral and inferior lateral branches anastomose with each other.
The middle genicular pierces the joint capsule to supply the cruciate ligaments, synovial membrane, and peripheral third of the menisci.
Anterior Tibial Artery
Origin: Popliteal Artery
Course:
Continuation of the Popliteal Artery just after the popliteal fossa
Passes between the tibia and the fibual into the anterior compartment of the leg through a gap in the interosseous membrane
Descends along the interosseous membrane
Runs with the deep fibular nerve between tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum longus
Crosses over and runs between Tibialis anterior and Extensor Hallucis Longus
Gives off:
ANTERIOR TIBIAL RECURRENT - contributes to the periarticular anastomoses around the knee
ANTERIOR MEDIAL MALLEOLAR and ANTERIOR LATERAL MALLEOLAR - supply the ankle and are analogous to the carpal branches at the wrist
Ends by becoming the DORSALIS PEDIS artery after the anterior tibial artery passes under the extensor retinaculum
Posterior Tibial Artery
Origin: Popliteal Artery
Course:
Continuation of the popliteal artery from the popliteal fossa
Passes through the posterior compartment of the leg between the superficial and deep layers, just deep to the transverse intermuscular septum
Runs with the tibial Nerve
Gives off:
CIRCUMFLEX FIBULAR ARTERY, which branches and then wraps anteriorly around the head of the fibula; this branch can also give off the FIBULAR RECURRENT artery
FIBULAR ARTERY –> Branches off the posterior tibial artery and runs parallel to the posterior tibal artery laterally (deep to FHL); it gives off the POSTERIOR LATERAL MALLEOLAR ARTERY
POSTERIOR MEDIAL MALLEOLAR ARTERY
Ends deep to Abductor Hallucis where it spilts into MEDIAL PLANTAR and LATERAL PLANTAR arteries
Medial Plantar Artery
Origin: Posterior Tibial Artery
Course:
Posterior tibial artery splits into medial and lateral plantar branches deep to abductor hallucis
Runs with the Medial Plantar Nerve between Abductor Hallucis and Flexor Hallucis Brevis (Between layers 1 and 2 of the foot muscles)
Gives off:
PLANTAR DIGITAL ARTERIES
BRANCH to DEEP PLANTAR ARCH
Lateral Plantar Artery
Origin: Posterior Tibial Artery
Course:
Posterior Tibial Artery splits into lateral and medial plantar arteries deep to abductor hallucis
The Lateral plantar artery then runs with the lateral plantar nerve depp to abductor hallucis and deep to flexor digitorum brevis obliquely across the foot between layers 1 and 2
Winds up on the lateral side of the foot just medial to abductor digiti minimi
Gives rise to the DEEP PLANTAR ARCH, which gives off PLANTAR METATARSAL ARTERIES which give off COMMON PLANTAR DIGITAL ARTERIES, which give off PROPER PLANTAR DIGITAL ARTERIES
Dorsalis Pedis
Origin: Anterior Tibial Artery
Course:
After the anterior tibial artery passes deep to the inferior extensor retinaculum, it becomes the dorsalis pedis artery (AKA dorsal artery of the foot)
It runs lateral to the tendon of Extensor Hallucis Longus, between EHL and EDL
It gives off:
MEDIAL AND LATERAL TARSAL ARTERIES that supply the tarsus
ARCUATE ARTERY - forms the arch on the dorsum of the foot
Arcuate Artery
Origin: Dorsalis Pedis
Course:
Branches off the dorsalis pedis in the dorsum of the foot after the medial and lateral tarsal branches come off.
Forms the arterial arch on the dorsum of the foot
Anastamoses with the lateral tarsal artery laterally to complete the arch
It gives off:
1st DORSAL DIGITAL ARTERY
DORSAL METATARSAL ARTERIES which split into DORSAL DIGITAL ARTERIES
Vertebral Artery
Origin: Subclavian Artery
Course:
Branches off of the subclavian artery then travels superiorly in the transverse foramina of the cervical vertebrae
When it reaches CV1, it travels horizontally in a groove along its posterior arch
We see is in the suboccipital triangle with the suboccipital nerve (Dorsal Ramus C1)
It then turns superiorly to enter the skull via the foramen magnum of the occiput and contributes to the blood supply of the brain.
