THE SUPERFICIAL VEINS OF THE LO WER EXTREMITY 743 



The chief superficial veins of the lower extremity are the internal or long saphe- 

 nous and the external or short saphenous. 



The internal or long saphenous vein (v. saphena magnet) (Figs. 518 and 521) 

 commences at the inner side of the arch on the dorsum of the foot; it ascends in 



FIG. .518. The internal or long 

 saphenous vein and its tributaries. 



FIG. 519. External or short saphenous vein. 



front of the inner malleolus and along the inner side 

 of the leg, behind the inner margin of the tibia, a(> 

 companied by the internal saphenous nerve. At the 

 knee it passes backward behind the inner condyle of 

 the femur, ascends along the inside of the thigh, and^ 

 passing through the saphenous opening in the fascia 

 lata. terminates in the femoral vein about an inch 

 and a half below Poupart's ligament. This vein 

 receives in its course cutaneous tributaries from the 

 leg and thigh, and at the saphenous opening receives 

 the superficial epigastric, superficial circumflex iliac, 

 and external pudic veins. The veins from the inner 

 and back part of the thigh frequently unite to form 

 a large vessel, which enters the main trunk near the 

 saphenous opening; and sometimes those on the outer 



