Anatomy · Lower Limb

Popliteal artery and clinical importance

4 min read

  • Popliteal artery, at a glance:

Feature

Continuation of

Popliteal artery
Femoral artery

Extent

Popliteal artery
Adductor hiatus to lower border of popliteus

Termination

Popliteal artery
Divides into anterior and posterior tibial arteries

Course and Relations

  • Begins at the adductor hiatus (an osseo-aponeurotic opening in adductor magnus, at the junction of the middle and lower one-third of the thigh).
  • Crosses the floor of the popliteal fossa from medial to lateral side.

Relations of the popliteal artery

Relation

Anterior (deep)

Structures
Popliteal surface of femur, posterior aspect of the knee joint, fascia covering popliteus

Posterior (superficial), deep to superficial

Structures
Popliteal vein, tibial nerve, fascial roof, superficial fascia, skin