Topic 8: Blood Supply of the Lower Limb

Question 1

Abdominal Aorta

Answer 1

Divides into:
1. left & right common iliac arteries 
Common iliac arteries branch into:
1. external iliac arteries
2. internal iliac arteries

Question 2

Obturator Artery

Answer 2

• Branch of the internal iliac artery
• Supplies various structures including:
  1. head of femur
  2. Pelvic muscles
  3. +/- medial thigh muscles

Question 3

Femoral Artery

Answer 3

Origin = external iliac artery

supplies: anterior compartment of the thigh

Question 4

Profunda Femoris/ Deep femoral artery

Answer 4

Origin = femoral artery 
Supplies:
1. skin of the medial thigh region
2. proximal femur 
3. muscles that extend, flex and adduct the thigh.

Question 5

Popliteal artery

Answer 5

• origin = femoral artery
• passes through adductor canal to hiatus
• gives off branches to supply structures around the knee

Question 6

Posterior Tibial Artery

Answer 6

o Origin is popliteal artery
o Supplies the posterior compartment of the leg
o Continues into plantar aspect of foot

Question 7

Anterior Tibial Artery

Answer 7

o Origin = popliteal artery
o Crosses through a gap in the interosseous membrane
o Supplies the anterior compartment of the leg
o Continues into foot as Dorsalis Pedis

Question 8

Peroneal (Fibular) artery

Answer 8

• Origin is Posterior Tibial artery

- Supplies the lateral compartment of the leg BUT is not found in this compartment

Question 9

Dorsalis Pedis (foot artery)

Answer 9

• Origin = Anterior Tibial artery – between malleoli

- Supplies structures over the dorsum of the foot

Question 10

Medial & Lateral Plantar Arteries

Answer 10

• Branches of Posterior Tibial artery

- Supply structures of plantar surface of the foot

Question 11

Deep Veins

Answer 11

• Run with arteries but in opposite direction
• Same name as arteries
  o E.g. popliteal veins with popliteal artery
• Vena commitantes
• Contain valves
• Drain what the artery supplies

Question 12

Superficial Veins

Answer 12

• Run with arteries but in opposite direction
• Same name as arteries
  o E.g. popliteal veins with popliteal artery
• Vena commitantes
• Contain valves
• Drain what the artery supplies

Question 13

Significance of having 2 sets of veins

Answer 13

1. 2 ways to return blood to the heart, some in-built redundancy
2. Temperature control (vasoconstriction/ vasodilation)

Question 14

Superficial Venous Drainage of the lower limb

Answer 14

1. Dorsal venous arch
2. Lesser/ short saphenous vein
3. Great/long saphenous vein

Question 15

Deep Venous Drainage of the lower limb

POPLITEAL VEIN

Answer 15

Lesser Saphenous drains into here/ is a branch for popliteal vein

Question 16

Deep Venous Drainage of the lower limb

FEMORAL VEIN

Answer 16

Great Saphenous drains into here/ is a branch for popliteal vein

Question 17

Branches of Inferior Vena Cava

Answer 17

1. Femoral vein
2. external iliac vein
3. common iliac vein
4. inferior vena cava
   Blood returned to right side of heart
   *tributaries contribute to a bigger vein

Question 18

Take a pulse where:

Answer 18

1. artery = most superficial
2. artery can be compressed against a bone
   i. e.
   - femoral, popliteal, posterior tibial, dorsalis pedis

Question 19

Common Errors

Answer 19

• Thinking veins travel in the SAME DIRECTION as arteries
• Having arteries branch into/ form veins or vice versa
  o Any artery branches from another artery
  o Any vein drains into another vein
• Missing name changes as vessels travel past/under a structure of enter/ exit a region
• Arteries might branch/ divide or might continue past a landmark with a new name

Question 20

Veins and arteries correlation

Answer 20

VAN (veins, arteries, nerve)