POPLITEAL FOSSA

CHAPTER – 5

POPLITEAL FOSSA               

For detailed description of popliteal fossa, watch this video:

https://youtu.be/uANPw5uZMrk 

For dissection of popliteal fossa, watch this video:

https://youtu.be/dfbIWzqEzxY

A diamond shaped space behind the knee as depression in flexed knee.

 

Boundaries of popliteal fossa:

 Supero-medially: Semitendinosus and semimembranosus

Supero-laterally:  Biceps femoris

Infero-medially: Medial head of gastrocnemius

Infero-laterally:  Lateral head of gastrocnemius and popliteus

Floor: from above downwards

a)    Popliteal surface of femur

b)    Oblique popliteal ligament

c)    Upper end of tibia (posterior) and fascia covering popliteus

Contents of popliteal fossa: (from deep to superficial)

1)    Popliteal artery

2)    Popliteal vein

3)    Tibial nerve

4)    Common peroneal nerve

5)    Popliteal lymph nodes

6)    Genicular branch of posterior division of obturator nerve.

In roof:

7)    Termination of small saphenous vein

8)    Posterior femoral cutaneous nerve

 

Popliteal artery

It is the continuation of femoral artery from the fifth Osseo aponeurotic opening of adductor magnus

Course:

From its origin, it runs obliquely and laterally and so it appears that popliteal vein and tibial nerve crosses from lateral to medial

Termination:

At the lower border of popliteus, it divides into anterior and posterior tibial arteries.

 

Branches of popliteal artery:

1)    Superior medial and lateral genicular arteries

2)    Inferior medial and lateral genicular arteries

3)    Middle genicular artery

Tibial nerve in popliteal fossa

●      Tibial nerve arises from sciatic nerve which divides at the upper angle of popliteal fossa.

●      It runs in the middle of the fossa, crossing superficial to popliteal vein and artery from lateral to medial side.

●      It leaves the fossa by passing below the tendinous origin of soleus.

 Common peroneal nerve

●      Arises from sciatic nerve at the upper angle of popliteal fossa

●      It leaves the fossa by passing along the medial border of biceps femoris

 ●   At the lateral angle of fossa, it crosses superficial to plantaris and lateral head of gastrocnemius    

●      On reaching the back of head of fibula, it can be felt as it lies over the thin sheet of popliteus.

●      The nerve finally turns forwarded on the lateral side of neck of fibula and deep to peroneus longus, it divides into deep and superficial peroneal nerves.

 

Branches of common peroneal nerve:

(Note: NO Muscular branches)

Cutaneous branches: Sural communicating nerve and the lateral sural nerve

Articular branches: Superior and inferior lateral genicular nerves, recurrent genicular nerve.