venous drainage of the limbs Flashcards
superficial veins upper limb
cephalic, basilic and median cubital veins.
deep veins upper limb
radial vein, ulnar vein.
superficial veins Lower limb
Great/Long saphenous vein, Small/Short saphenous vein
Great/Long saphenous vein
begins from a venous arch on the dorsum of the foot and ascends on the medial aspect of the leg and thigh
to drain into the femoral vein.
It is the longest vein of the body and is
frequently surgically harvested for the repair/substitution of other vessels in the body, e.g., CABG procedures - coronary artery bypass
grafts.
It needs to transport venous blood against gravity, possesses valves, and as a result is prone to varicosities =
“varicose veins”.
Small/Short saphenous vein
Also begins from the dorsal venous arch of the foot but ascends on the lateral aspect of the leg to drain into the popliteal vein in the popliteal fossa.
These superficial veins drain also into the other deep veins – e.g., posterior tibial vein (see below).
varicose veins
veins that have become enlarged and twisted
when veins become varicose the leaflets of valves no longer meet properly and valves don’t work - allows back flow of blood and enlargement
varicose veins are most common in superficial veins of legs subject to high pressure when standing
Deep veins lower limb
Important deep veins are the femoral, popliteal, and posterior tibial veins and they lie next to their correspondingly named artery.
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
is the formation of a blood clot (thrombus) within a deep vein predominantly in the legs. Pulmonary embolism, a potentially life-threatening complication, is caused by the detachment (embolization) of the clot which is then carried to the lungs.