THE POPLITEAL VEIN 



689 



It accompanies the popliteal artery, lying superficial to it in the whole of its course, and 

 tightly bound down to it by its fascial sheath. At the lower part of the space it is a little medial 

 to the artery, but, crossing the vessel obliquely as it ascends, lies a little lateral to it at the 

 ■upper part of the space. The tibial (internal popliteal) nerve lies superficial to the vein, 

 being lateral to it above, then posterior to it, and then a little to its medial side. The popliteal 

 vein contains two or three valves. 



{ 



Fig. 542. — ^The Deep Veixs of the Leg. (After Toldt, "Atlas of Human Anatomy," Rebman. 



London and New York.) 

 Semimembranosus _ 



Semitendinosus 



Popliteal artery -- 



\ i 



* 4---- Popliteal vein 



Superior medial artery and veins \ 

 of the knee 



Medial sural artery and veins 



Popliteal veins ^-.-.t 



Gastrocnemius (medial head) _. 



Deep layer of the crural fascia >»1 



Flexor digitorum longus 

 Posterior tibial artery and veins 



Flexor hallucis longu 



Communicating branch between the 

 posterior tibial and peroneal arteries ""--^ 



Peroneal artery and veins -,^ 

 Flexor digitorum longus 



Posterior tibial — j 



Posterior medial malleolar artery- 



Medial calcanean branches—--- ., 

 ( ' 

 Venous rete of the heel t^\ 



Biceps femoris 



Superior lateral artery and veins 

 of knee 



, Lateral sural artery and veins 

 ^-'Plantaris 



r 



*" Gastrocnemius (lateral head) 



Inferior lateral 1 



Inferior medial 



Soleus 



Artery and veins 

 of knee 



Peroneal artery and vein 



Flexor hallucis longus 



Flexor hallucis longus 



I . J ,,, Tendon of AchUIes 



Posterior lateral malleolar artery and veins 



'- Lateral calcanean branches and veins 



The popliteal receives the small saphenous vein. It is also joined on its lateral and medial 

 sides by_ the accessory popliteal veins [vv. poplitese accessori£e] which form common trunks of 

 -^rmination of the sural and articular veins of the respective sides. The medial vein receives 

 n addition, through a plexus extending as high as the opening in the adductor magnus, the veins 

 accompanying the a. genu suprema. 



44 



