ms anatomy: leg vasculature

this lecture talked briefly about the vasculature of the thigh and leg. the posterior arteries in the leg start with the femoral artery, which goes through the femoral triangle, down the anterior thigh, through the adductor hiatus, and turns into the popliteal artery. the popliteal artery divides into the posterior tibial artery, which supplies blood to the posterior leg muscles, and the fibular artery, which supplies the lateral leg compartment. the posterior tibial artery ends in the medial and lateral plantar arteries on the ventral side of the foot. the anterior leg muscles are supplied with blood via the anterior tibial artery. the dorsal pedis artery is on the dorsal side of the foot and is a location for a palpable pulse.

a couple landmarks in the leg: the popliteal fossa is the space in the back of the knee which is bordered by the lower tendons of the hamstring on the top and the upper heads of the gastrocnemius on the bottom. through it passes the common fibular and tibial nerve, as well as the popliteal artery and vein. the femoral triangle is created by the inguinal ligament, the sartorius, and the adductor longus, and contains the femoral vein, artery, and nerve.

the veins of the leg can be divided into superficial and deep veins; most of the blood returns through the deep veins, venae comitantes, which are bound to the arteries. one important superficial vein is the long saphenous vein, which runs down the medial aspect of the leg and thigh. perforating veins are veins that connect and allow blood to flow from superficial to deep veins. when the valves in the perforating veins start to be defective (due to excessive pressure), backflow is possible, and this can create varicose veins- large, twisted veins, in both the perforating and superficial veins of the leg.

questions
1. describe the path of the femoral artery.
2. what are the two branches of the popliteal artery?
3. what does the posterior tibial branch of the popliteal artery supply blood to?
4. what does the fibular branch of the popliteal artery supply blood to?
5. what does the posterial tibial artery end in?

6. neurovascular bundle of the foot passes...
7. which artery supplies blood to the anterior group of leg muscles?
8. which artery provides a palpable pulse on the dorsal side of the foot?
9. where is the popliteal fossa located?
10. what is contained in the popliteal fossa?

11. what are the boundaries of the femoral triangle?
12. what arteries, veins, and nerves pass through the femoral triangle?
13. which vein enters the femoral vein in the femoral triangle?
14. what are the lymph nodes in the femoral triangle called?
15. what is the site in which femoral hernias can occur?

16. describe the location of the long saphenous vein.
17. the long saphenous vein can be used as...
18. what are the deep veins in the leg?
19. what do perforating veins do?
20. how are varicose veins developed in the leg?

answers
1. passes through the femoral triangle and down the anterior thigh, then through the adductor hiatus to the posterior thigh; becomes the popliteal artery.
2. posterior tibial, fibular.
3. posterior compartment leg muscles.
4. lateral compartment leg muscles.
5. the medial and lateral plantar arteries.

6. posteriorly to the medial malleolus.
7. the anterior tibial artery.
8. dorsal pedis artery.
9. between the lower tendons of the hamstrings and the upper heads of the gastrocnemius.
10. the popliteal artery and vein, the tibial and common fibular nerve.

11. the sartorius, inguinal ligament, and adductor longus.
12. femoral artery, vein, and nerve.
13. the great saphenous vein.
14. inguinal lymph nodes.
15. the femoral canal, the space medial to the femoral vein.

16. the long saphenous vein is a long vein that runs along the medial aspect of the leg and thigh.
17. a "source of bypass vessels"
18. the venae comitantes which surround the arteries.
19. they connect the superficial and deep veins in the leg.
20. when the valves in the perforating veins are defective, allowing backflow to occur through the perforating veins to the superficial veins.