DESCRIPTION OF THE VEINS 215 



The Veins of the Lower Extremity. THE SUPERFICIAL 

 VEINS. They begin on the back of the foot in a 

 plexus which receives the digital veins, and forms an 

 arch from which .emerge the internal or long and the 

 external or short saphenous veins. 



The long (internal) saphenous, from the inner part of 

 the plexus, runs in front of the inner malleolus of the 

 tibia, along with the long saphenous nerve, behind the 

 inner border of the tibia and condyle of the femur; 

 thence up along the antero-internal part of the thigh 

 to join the femoral vein at the saphenous opening. 



The short (external) saphenous vein ascends behind 

 the outer malleolus, and external to the tendo Achillis, 

 with the external saphenous nerve, and pierces the deep 

 fascia in the popliteal space to join the popliteal vein. 



THE DEEP VEINS. These are the vena comites 

 of the arteries. The posterior tibial veins receive the 

 peroneal, and join the anterior tibial to form the pop- 

 liteal. This vessel then ascends, crossing superficial 

 to the artery, from the inner to the outer side, and 

 becomes the femoral at the opening in the lower 

 border of the adductor rnagnus muscle. It receives 

 the external saphenous and veins corresponding to the 

 arterial branches. 



The femoral vein accompanies the artery, and 

 becomes the external iliac at Poupart's ligament. It 

 is at first outside, then behind, and at its termination 

 internal to, the artery as it lies in Hunter's canal. It 

 receives, in its lower part, veins corresponding to the 

 branches of the superficial femoral artery; the long 

 saphenous, and the prof undo, vein. 



The external iliac joins the internal iliac near 

 the lumbosacral articulation, being at first internal 

 to, later behind, the artery, and they empty into the 

 common iliac vein on either side, the latter lorming 

 the inferior vena cava. 



The Portal System. The portal vein, three inches 

 long, arises from the union of the splenic and superior 



