THE POPLITEAL ARTERY. 461 



reach the inner aspect of the knee and accompanies the long saphenous vein 

 to the internal malleolus (Henle). 



SURGICAL ANATOMY OF THE FEMORAL ARTERY. 



Tlie femoral artery may be tied in two parts of its course, either at the 

 apex of Scai-pa's triangle or in Hunter's canal. The former situation is that 

 usually preferred by surgeons, owing to the superficial position of the vessel, and 

 its freedom from large branches. An incision about three and a half ruches 

 long is made in the direction of the vessel, and so that the centre of the incision 

 shall be about foiu- and a half iuches below the middle of Poupart's ligament. 

 The integument and fascia lata are cut through at once, and the sartorius 

 muscle exposed. The inner edge of that muscle is to be raised and tm-ned 

 outwards, and the sheath of the artery scraped through. The femoral vein is 

 close behind the artery and only separated by a thin fibrous partition, and the 

 long saphenous nerve is to its outer side. The needle bearing the ligature is to be 

 passed from within outwards, its point being kept close to the artery. 



To reach the artery in Hunter's canal a much longer incision is needed, owing 

 to the greater depth of the vessel. The integuments are cut through over the 

 inner border of the sartorius muscle, which here lies dnectly in front of the 

 artery, avoiding at the same time the long saphenous vein. The fibrous structui's 

 stretching over the vessels is then to be cut through and the artery exposed. The 

 ligature is passed as in the previous operation. 



POPLITEAL ARTERY. 



The popliteal artery placed at the back of the knee-joint extends 

 along the lower third of the thigh and the npper part of the leg, reaching 

 from the opening in the great adductor to the lower border of the 

 popliteus muscle. It is continuous above with the femoral, and divides 

 at the lower end into the anterior and posterior tibial arteries. 



This artery at first inclines from the inner side of the limb to reach a 

 point behind the middle of the knee-joint, and thence continues to 

 descend vertically to its lower end. Lying deeply in its whole course, 

 it is covered for some distance at its upper end by the semimembranosus 

 muscle ; a little above the knee it is placed in the popliteal space ; 

 inferiorly it is covered for a considerable distance by the gastrocnemius 

 muscle ; and at its termination by the upper margin of the soleus muscle. 



At first the artery lies close to the inner side of the femur ; in 

 descending, it is separated by an interval from the flat or somewhat 

 hollowed triangular surface at the lower end of the bone ; it then rests 

 on the posterior ligament of the knee-joint, and afterwards on the popli- 

 teus muscle. 



Relation to Veins. — The popliteal vein lies close to the artery, behind 

 and somewhat to the outer side till near its termination, where it crosses 

 the artery and is placed somewhat on the inner side. The vein is 

 frequently double along the lower part of the artery, and, more rarely, 

 also at the upper part. The short saphenous vein, ascending into the 

 popliteal space over the gastrocnemius muscle, approaches the arteiy as 

 it is about to terminate in the popliteal vein. 



Relation to the Nerve. — Tho. internal popliteal nQx\Q\iQ%2Aj first to the 

 outer side of the artery, but much nearer to the surface than the vessel : 

 the nerve afterwards crosses over the artery, and is placed behind and 

 to the inner side below the joint. 



Branches. — The branches of the popliteal artery may be arranged in 

 two sets, viz., the muscular and the articular. 



1 . The muscular branches are divided into a superior and an inferior 

 group. 



