Popliteal Fossa Flashcards
Popliteal fossa
- Diamond-shaped area posterior to knee
- Fat-filled, confined compartment
Popliteal fossa boundaries
- Superolateral: biceps femoris
- Superomedial: semimembranosus/semitendinosus
- Inferolateral: lateral head of gastrocnemius, plantaris muscle
- Inferomedial: medial head of gastrocnemius
- Roof: skin, superficial fascia and deep fascia (popliteal fascia)
- Floor: popliteal surface of femur, investing fascia over popliteus, knee joint capsule and oblique popliteal ligament
Popliteal fossa SUPEROLATERAL boundary
- Biceps femoris
Popliteal fossa SUPEROMEDIAL boundary
- Semimembranosus
- Semitendinosus
Popliteal fossa INFEROLATERAL boundary
- Lateral head of gastrocnemius
- Plantaris muscle
Popliteal fossa INFEROMEDIAL boundary
- Medial head of gastrocnemius
Popliteal fossa ROOF
- Skin
- Superficial fascia
- Deep fascia (popliteal fascia)
Popliteal fossa FLOOR
- Popliteal surface of femur
- Investing fascia over popliteus
- Knee joint capsule
- Oblique popliteal ligament
Polpiteal fossa content
- Small saphenous vein
- Popliteal artery and branches
- Popliteal vein and tributaries
- Tibial nerve
- Medial sural cutaneous
- Common fibular nerves
- Posterior cutaneous nerve of thigh
- Popliteal lymph nodes
Common fibular nerves (content of popliteal fossa)
- Lateral sural cutaneous nerve
- Sural communicating (fibular communicating)
Deep to superficial popliteal fossa content
- Popliteal artery
- Popliteal vein
- Nerves
Medial to lateral politeal fossa content
- Popliteal artery
- Popliteal vein
- Tibial nerve & common fibular nerve
- Sciatic nerve
Tibial nerve (L4-S3) located in
- In the superficial fascia
Common fibular nerve (L4-S2) pathway
- Follows biceps femoris & tendon
- Passes around fibular neck
Tibial nerve (L4-S3) gives off
- Medial sural cutaneous (S1,2)
Common fibular nerve gives off
- Lateral sural cutaneous (L5-S2)
- Sural (fibular) communicating branch (S1,2)
Lateral sural cutaneous (L5-S2) supplies
- Superior/lateral leg
Sural (fibular) communicating branch (S1,2)
- Joins medial sural cutaneous
- Forms sural nerve (S1,2)
Popliteal sciatic nerve block
- Blocks sciatic nerve superior pop fossa (or slightly above)
- Lateral or posterior approach
Popliteal artery
- Continuation of femoral, deep in popliteal fossa
- Supplies knee joint and surrounding musculature
Popliteal pulse
- Difficult to feel
- Easier more superior and medial to midline
Popliteal artery pathway
- Passes into posterior leg compartment
- Deep through fibrous arch of soleus
Branches of popliteal artery
- Superior medial/lateral genicular
- Sural arteries
- Inferior medial/lateral genicular
- Anterior/posterior tibial artery (terminal branches)
Superior lateral genicular artery
- Passes deep to and biceps femoris
Superior medial genicular artery
- Passes deep to medial hamstring muscles/adductor magnus above medial femoral condyle
Sural arteries are muscular branches to
- Gastrocnemius
- Soleus
- Plantaris
Middle genicular artery
- Pierces oblique popliteal ligament
- Supplies internal knee structures
Inferior lateral genicular artery
- Passes deep to gastrocnemius/plantaris
- Superficial to popliteus
- Passes around lateral tibial condyle
Inferior medial genicular artery
- Follows along superior border of popliteus
- Toward medial tibial condyle
Anterior tibial artery (terminal branch of popliteal)
- Branches off popliteal artery near inferior border of popliteus
- Passes through superior opening of interosseous membrane
- Enters anterior compartment
Branches of anterior tibial artery
- Posterior tibial recurrent
- Anterior tibial recurrent
Posterior tibial recurrent artery
- Branches off before entering the anterior compartment
- Passes deep to popliteus
- Joins with genicular anastomosis
Anterior tibial recurrent artery
- Branches right after passing through superior opening in the interosseous membrane
- Passes superiorly to anastomose with inferior genicular arteries
Posterior tibial artery (terminal branch of popliteal)
- Deep posterior compartment
Branches of posterior tibial artery
- Circumflex fibular
- Fibular artery
Circumflex fibular artery
- Wraps around neck of fibula
- Joins with inferior genicular arteries
Fibular artery
- Descends posterior to fibula
Anterior/posterior tibial venous drainage
- Anterior/posterior tibial vein > Popliteal vein > Femoral vein
Superior lateral genicular artery anastomoses with
- Superior medial genicular
- Inferior lateral genicular
- Descending branch of lateral femoral circumflex
Superior medial genicular artery anastomoses with
- Superior lateral genicular
- Inferior medial genicular
- Descending genicular
Inferior lateral genicular artery
anastamoses with
- Inferior medial genicular
- Superior lateral
- Circumflex fibular
- Anterior/posterior tibial recurrent
Inferior medial genicular artery
anastomoses with
- Inferior lateral genicular
- Superior medial genicular
- Anterior tibial recurrent
- Descending genicular (saphenous branch) arteries
Inferior medial genicular artery
supplies
- Popliteus muscle
Anterior tibial recurrent
anastomoses with
- Inferor medial/lateral genicular arteries
- Circumflex fibular
Posterior tibial recurrent
anastomoses with
- Inferior genicular arteries
Circumflex fibular artery
anastomoses with
- Inferior lateral genicular
- Anterior tibial reccurent
Descending genicular (highest genicular) artery
- Last branch off of femoral artery
Descending genicular (highest genicular) branches
- Saphenous artery
- Articular branch
Saphenous artery
- Supplies medial knee
- Joins genicular anastomosis
- Anastomoses with inferior medial genicular artery
Descending genicular artery anastomoses with
- Inferior medial genicular artery
Articular branch
- Supplies knee joint
- Joins genicular anastomosis
Descending branch of lateral femoral circumflex anastomoses with
- Superior lateral genicular artery
