ANGIOLOGY 



. Sural 

 arteries 



Contents. The popliteal fossa contains the popliteal vessels, the tibial and the 

 common peroneal nerves, the termination of the small saphenous vein, the lower 

 part of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve, the articular branch from the obtur- 

 ator nerve, a few small lymph glands, and 

 a considerable quantity of fat. The tibial 

 nerve descends through the middle of the 

 fossa, lying under the deep fascia and cross- 

 ing the vessels posteriorly from the lateral 

 to the medial side. The common peroneal 

 nerve descends on the lateral side of the 

 upper part of the fossa, close to the tendon 

 of the Biceps femoris. On the floor of the 

 fossa are the popliteal vessels, the vein 

 being superficial to the artery and united 

 to it by dense areolar tissue; the vein is a 

 thick-walled vessel, and lies at first lateral 

 to the artery, and then crosses it posteriorly 

 to gain its medial side below; sometimes 

 it is double, the artery lying between the 

 two veins, which are usually connected by 

 short transverse branches. The articular 

 branch from the obturator nerve descends 

 upon the artery to the knee-joint. The 

 popliteal lymph glands, six or seven in 

 number, are imbedded in the fat; one lies 

 beneath the popliteal fascia near the termi- 

 nation of the external saphenous vein, 

 another between the popliteal artery and 

 the back of the knee-joint, while the others 

 are placed at the sides of the popliteal 

 vessel. Arising from the artery, and pass- 

 ing off from it at right angles, are its genic- 

 ular branches. 



The Popliteal Artery (A. Poplitea) (Fig. 551). 



The popliteal artery is the continuation of 

 the femoral, and courses through the poplit- 

 eal fossa. It extends from the opening in 

 the Adductor magnus, at the junction of the 

 middle and lower thirds of the thigh, down- 

 ward and lateralward to the intercondyloid 

 fossa of the femur, and then vertically down- 

 ward to the lower border of the Popliteus, 

 where it divides into anterior and posterior 

 tibial arteries. 



Relations. In front of the artery from 'above 

 downward are the popliteal surface of the femur 

 (which is separated from the vessel by some fat), 

 the back of the knee-joint, and the fascia cover- 

 ing the Popliteus. Behind, it is overlapped by the 

 Semimembranosus above, ai<d is covered by the 

 Gastrocnemius and Plantaris below. In the middle 

 part of its course the artery :is separated from the 



Fio. 551. The popliteal, posterior tibial, and J !., 



peroneal arteries. integument and fasciaa by a quantity of fat, and is 





-Per/, branch 

 of peroneal 



