THE POSTERIOR LIMB. agi 
**The great saphenous vein (v. saphena magna), a large 
tributary of the femoral, accompanies the corresponding artery, 
and the greater saphenous nerve, and is continued as the posterior 
tibial vein (v. tibialis posterior), to the plantar surface of the foot. 
The popliteal vein, the root of the femoral, accompanies the 
corresponding artery in the popliteal fossa. It receives the small 
saphenous vein (v. saphena parva) from the posterior margin 
of the lateral head of the gastrocnemius. 
The sciatic vein is continued on the lateral surface of the leg as 
the anterior tibial vein (v. tibialis anterior). It receives the 
accessory small saphenous vein (vy. saphena parva accessoria) 
from the posterior surface, and is continued to the dorsum of the 
foot passing to the fibular side of the crural ligament. 
***The greater saphenous nerve, the posterior branch of the 
femoral nerve, accompanies first the femoral artery and afterwards 
the great saphenous artery, passing distad to the medial surface 
of the leg. 
The tibial nerve, the posterior division of the sciatic, passes 
between the medial and lateral heads of the gastrocnemius to the 
medial surface of the head of the plantaris. It traverses the leg, 
lying on the medial surface first of the popliteus and afterwards 
of the flexor digitorum longus, and passing beneath the medial 
malleolus reaches the plantar surface of the foot. In the proximal 
portion of the leg it distributes muscular branches to the flexor 
group. 
The lesser saphenous nerve (n. saphenus minor) accompanies 
the small saphenous artery and vein on the posterior margin of the 
lateral head of the gastrocnemius. 
The peroneal nerve, the anterior division of the sciatic, passes 
distad, lying at first between the insertion of the biceps and the 
lateral head of the gastrocnemius, and thus appearing on the surface 
after the removal of the former. It perforates the anterior portion 
of the lateral head of the gastrocnemius and afterwards the fused 
heads of the peronaeus tertius and flexor digitorum longus, travers- 
ing the leg at first behind the peronaeus longus and then around its 
medial margin to the front of its tendon. It passes to the fibular 
side of the crural ligament and thence to the dorsum of the foot. 
The nerve distributes branches to the tibialis anterior and extensor 
digitorum longus. 
