Popliteal Fossa

Question 1

What is the popliteal fossa?

Answer 1

a diamond shaped region at the back of the knee.

Question 2

Superomedially boundary of the popliteal fossa

Answer 2

1. semimembranosus m.

2. semitendinosus m.

Question 3

Superolaterally boundary of the popliteal fossa

Answer 3

Biceps femoris m.

Question 4

Inferolaterally boundary of the popliteal fossa

Answer 4

Lateral head of the gastrocnemius m.

Question 5

Inferomedially boundary of the popliteal fossa

Answer 5

Medial head of the gastrocnemius m.

Question 6

What is inside the popliteal fossa (medial to lateral)?

Answer 6

VANN

Popliteal vein - popliteal artery- tibial nerve -common fibular nerve

Popliteal vein will be above the popliteal artery

Question 7

Popliteal artery trajectory and branches

Answer 7

Popliteal A will come out of the adductor hiatus and then give off genicular arteries above the knee, at the knee and below the knee.

Above the knee:

1. Superior medial genicular a
2. Superior lateral genicular a

At knee:
1. Middle genicular a

Below the knee:

1. Inferior medial genicular a
2. Inferior lateral genicular a

these all supply the knee joint.

At the end of the popliteal fossa, the popliteal a will then divide into:

1. Posterior tibial A- stays at the back of the leg
2. Anterior tibial A- goes to front of leg via the interosseus membrane

Question 8

At the foot, what does the anterior tibial a. become?

Answer 8

Dorsalis pedis a.

Question 9

What participates in an anastamoses of the knee?

Answer 9

Genicular branches of the popliteal a, This allows bypassing of the popliteal artery in case there is damage.

Question 10

How can we damage the popliteal a?

Answer 10

1. Flex knee too long

2. Popliteal vessels become occluded

Question 11

How can we identify the inferior medial genicular a?

Answer 11

It comes down the popliteal a at a strong angle.

Question 12

what genicular a does not participate in an anastomses?

Answer 12

middle genicular a

Question 13

What forms the popliteal vein?

What is the trajectory?

Answer 13

1. Posterior tibial vein
2. Anterior tibial vein.

[Small saphenous vein] will also terminate on it.

Goes through adductor hiatus to form the femoral vein.

Question 14

Sciatic nerve branches into

Answer 14

1. Tibial nerve

2. Common fibular n.

Question 15

Branches of the tibial n.

Answer 15

medial sural cutaneous n.

Question 16

Branches of the common fibular n

Answer 16

1. Lateral sural cutaneous n.
2. Superficial fibular n
3. Deep fibular n.

The superficial and deep fibular nerves will wind around the head and neck of the fibula and go to the anterior leg, thus, it is susceptible to injury.

Question 17

What does the sural nerve run with?

Answer 17

Small saphenous vein.

Question 18

What does the sural nerve innervate?

Answer 18

Distal posterior aspect of the leg

Lateral aspect of ankle and foot.