Veins of the lower limb

Question 1

What is the main deep venous return of the foot?

Answer 1

-Dorsal venous arch

Question 2

Where does the dorsal venous arch drain?

Answer 2

-Into superficial veins of the leg

Question 3

What forms the anterior tibial vein?

Answer 3

-Some veins of the dorsal arch penertrate deep into the leg and form this vein

Question 4

What deep veins arise on the plantar aspect of the foot?

Answer 4

-Medial and lateral plantar veins

Question 5

What happens to the lateral and medial plantar veins?

Answer 5

-Combine to form posterior tibial and fibular vein

Question 6

Where does the posterior tibial vein enter the leg?

Answer 6

-Posterior to medial malleolus

Question 7

What are the deep veins of the leg?

Answer 7

-Anterior tibial, posterior tibial and fibular veins

Question 8

What becomes of the deep veins of the leg?

Answer 8

-Combine to form the popliteal vein at the knee

Question 9

What happens to the popliteal vein?

Answer 9

-Enters to thigh through adductor canal and becomes femoral vein

Question 10

What are the deep veins of the thigh?

Answer 10

• Femoral vein (which accompanies femoral artery)

- Deep vein of the thigh

Question 11

How does the deep vein of the thigh drain the thigh muscles?

Answer 11

-Perforating veins

Question 12

Where does the deep vein of the thigh drain into?

Answer 12

-Femoral vein

Question 13

What happens to the femoral vein?

Answer 13

-Runs under the inguinal ligament and becomes the external iliac vein

Question 14

Describe venous drainage of the gluteal region

Answer 14

-Drained by inferior and superior gluteal veins which empty into the internal iliac vein

Question 15

What is DVT?

Answer 15

-Formation of a blood clot within the deep veins of the lower limb, causing blockage of a vessel

Question 16

What are local symptoms of DVT?

Answer 16

-Pain, swelling and tenderness of affected limb

Question 17

What is the main complication of DVT?

Answer 17

-Pulmonary embolism

Question 18

Where are the superficial veins of the lower limb located?

Answer 18

-In the subcutaneous tissue

Question 19

What are the two major superficial veins?

Answer 19

• Great saphenous vein

- Small saphenous vein

Question 20

What forms the great saphenous vein?

Answer 20

-Dorsal venous arch of the foot and the dorsal vein of the great toe

Question 21

Describe the path of the great saphenous vein in the lower limb

Answer 21

• 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

Question 22

What is the surgical relevance of the great saphenous vein?

Answer 22

-Can be harvested and used as a vessel in coronary artery bypasses

Question 23

What forms the small saphenous vein?

Answer 23

• Dorsal venous arch of the foot

- Dorsal vein of the little toe

Question 24

Describe the path of the small saphenous vein in the lower limb

Answer 24

• 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

Question 25

What are varicose veins?

Answer 25

• 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

Question 26

What are complications of varicose veins?

Answer 26

• Damage to cells causing blood to extrude into the skin
• Brown pigmention
• Ulceration

Question 27

How are varicose veins treated?

Answer 27

• Surgical movement of the saphenous systems
• Reconstruction of valves
• Tying off the effected valves

Question 28

Where are the deep veins of the lower limb usually located?

Answer 28

-In the same vascular sheath accompanying the main arteries