Veins of the lower limb Flashcards
What is the main deep venous return of the foot?
-Dorsal venous arch
Where does the dorsal venous arch drain?
-Into superficial veins of the leg
What forms the anterior tibial vein?
-Some veins of the dorsal arch penertrate deep into the leg and form this vein
What deep veins arise on the plantar aspect of the foot?
-Medial and lateral plantar veins
What happens to the lateral and medial plantar veins?
-Combine to form posterior tibial and fibular vein
Where does the posterior tibial vein enter the leg?
-Posterior to medial malleolus
What are the deep veins of the leg?
-Anterior tibial, posterior tibial and fibular veins
What becomes of the deep veins of the leg?
-Combine to form the popliteal vein at the knee
What happens to the popliteal vein?
-Enters to thigh through adductor canal and becomes femoral vein
What are the deep veins of the thigh?
- Femoral vein (which accompanies femoral artery)
- Deep vein of the thigh
How does the deep vein of the thigh drain the thigh muscles?
-Perforating veins
Where does the deep vein of the thigh drain into?
-Femoral vein
What happens to the femoral vein?
-Runs under the inguinal ligament and becomes the external iliac vein
Describe venous drainage of the gluteal region
-Drained by inferior and superior gluteal veins which empty into the internal iliac vein
What is DVT?
-Formation of a blood clot within the deep veins of the lower limb, causing blockage of a vessel
What are local symptoms of DVT?
-Pain, swelling and tenderness of affected limb
What is the main complication of DVT?
-Pulmonary embolism
Where are the superficial veins of the lower limb located?
-In the subcutaneous tissue
What are the two major superficial veins?
- Great saphenous vein
- Small saphenous vein
What forms the great saphenous vein?
-Dorsal venous arch of the foot and the dorsal vein of the great toe
Describe the path of the great saphenous vein in the lower limb
- Ascends up the medial side of the leg, passing anteriorly to the ankle and posteriorly to the medial condyle of the knee
- Terminates by draining into the femoral vein immediately inferior to the inguinal ligament
What is the surgical relevance of the great saphenous vein?
-Can be harvested and used as a vessel in coronary artery bypasses
What forms the small saphenous vein?
- Dorsal venous arch of the foot
- Dorsal vein of the little toe
Describe the path of the small saphenous vein in the lower limb
- Ascends up posterior leg, passing posteriorly to lateral malleolus
- Moves between the two heads of gastronemius and empties into the popliteal vein in the popliteal fossa
What are varicose veins?
- The valves of superficial veins become incompetent and blood flows back into the superficial veins from the deep veins
- This caises an increased intraluminal pressure wich the veins cannot withstand causing them to become dilated and torturous
What are complications of varicose veins?
- Damage to cells causing blood to extrude into the skin
- Brown pigmention
- Ulceration
How are varicose veins treated?
- Surgical movement of the saphenous systems
- Reconstruction of valves
- Tying off the effected valves
Where are the deep veins of the lower limb usually located?
-In the same vascular sheath accompanying the main arteries