426 SURGICAL APPLIED ANATOMY. [Chap. xxi. 



replaced by an evenly rounded eminence. The crease 

 in the skin that passes transversely across the ham is 

 some way above the line of the knee-joint. On the 

 outer side of the space the biceps tendon can be very 

 readily felt, especially when the muscle is in action. 

 Just behind it, and along its inner border, lies the 

 peroneal nerve. It can be rolled under the finger as 

 it crosses the head of the fibula to pass beneath the 

 peroneus longus muscle. On the inner side of the 

 ham three tendons can be felt. Nearest to the middle 

 of the space is the long prominent tendon of the 

 semitendinosus. Internally to it is the larger and 

 less distinct semimembranosus tendon, and still more 

 to the inner side the gracilis may be made out. 



The popliteal vessels enter the ham obliquely at 

 its upper and inner part, and under cover of the 

 semimembranosus muscle. The outer border of this 

 muscle is the guide to the upper portion of the artery. 

 The vessels in their descent reach a point behind 

 the middle of the knee-joint, and then pass vertically 

 downwards. The termination of the popliteal artery 

 is on a level with the lower part of the tubercle of 

 the tibia. When the limb is flexed, the pulsations of the 

 artery can be felt and the vessel compressed against the 

 femur a little below its point of entry into the popliteal 

 space. The upper articular arteries run transversely 

 inwards and outwards just above the femoral condyles. 

 The lower articular arteries are also placed trans- 

 versely, the inner vessels running just below the 

 internal tuberosity of the tibia, and the outer just 

 above the head of the fibula. The deep branch of 

 the anastomotica magna descends to the inner condyle 

 of the femur in the substance of the vastus internus, 

 and along the front of the adductor magnus tendon. 

 The internal saphenous vein passes up along the back 

 part of the internal condyle of the femur, and then 

 follows the sartorius muscle to the thigh. It is just 



