Popliteal Fossa.pptx

The Popliteal Fossa is a diamond-shaped space behind the knee joint. It is formed between the muscles in the posterior compartments of the thigh and leg. This anatomical landmark is the major route by which structures pass between the thigh and leg.

1. POPLITEAL FOSSA

2. INTRODUCTION The Popliteal Fossa is a diamond-shaped space behind the knee joint. It is formed between the muscles in the posterior compartments of the thigh and leg. This anatomical landmark is the major route by which structures pass between the thigh and leg.

3. Popliteal (Latin hamstring of knee) fossa is a shallow diamond-shaped depression felt best at the back of knee joint, when the joint is semi-flexed. It corresponds to the cubital fossa of the forearm

4. SURFACE LANDMARKS 1 Lateral and medial condyles of femur and tibia can be identified easily on the sides and front of the knee. 2 Head of the fibula is a bony prominence situated just below the posterolateral aspect of the lateral condyle of tibia.

5. 3 Common peroneal nerve can be palpated against the posterolateral aspect of the neck of fibula, medial to the tendon of biceps femoris , by moving the finger from below upwards. 4 Fibular collateral ligament of the knee joint is felt like a rounded cord just above the head of the fibula in a flexed knee.

6. 5 When the knee is flexed against resistance, the hamstrings can be seen and palpated easily right up to their insertion. Medially, the rounded tendon of the semitendinosus lies superficial to the flat tendon of semimembranosus. In front of these tendons, there is a groove bounded anteriorly by the tendon of adductor magnus . Laterally, there is the tendon of biceps femoris . In front of this tendon, there is a shallow groove bounded anteriorly by the iliotibial tract.

7. 6 Pulsations of the popliteal artery can be felt in the middle of the popliteal fossa by applying deep pressure. 7 In the lower part of popliteal fossa, two heads of the gastrocnemius form rounded cushions that merge inferiorly into the calf.

8. LOCATION The popliteal fossa is a diamond-shaped depression lying behind the knee joint , the lower part of the femur, and the upper part of the tibia.

9. BOUNDARIES Superolaterally : The biceps femoris Superomediall y : The semitendinosus and the semimembranosus, supplemented by the gracilis , the sartorius and the adductor magnus . Inferolaterally : Lateral head of the gastrocnemius supplemented by the plantaris . Inferomedially : Medial head of the gastrocnemius.

10. CONTENTS The popliteal artery and its branches The popliteal vein and its tributaries The tibial nerve and its branches The common peroneal nerve and its branches The posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh The genicular branch of the obturator nerve The popliteal lymph nodes Fat: Surrounds and supports all the above structures

11. CLINICAL ANATOMY Blood pressure in the lower limb is recorded from the popliteal artery. In coarctation of the aorta, the popliteal pressure is lower than the brachial pressure.

12. Constant pulsations of the popliteal artery against the unyielding tendon of the adductor magnus may cause changes in the vessel wall, leading to narrowing and occlusion of the artery. Sudden occlusion of the artery may cause gangrene up to the knee, but this is usually prevented by the collateral circulation through the profound femoris artery

13. The popliteal artery is fixed to the capsule of the knee joint by a fibrous band present just above the femoral condyles. This may be a source of continuous traction or stretching on the artery, causing primary thrombosis of the artery in young subjects.

14. When the popliteal artery is affected by atherosclerosis, the lower part of artery usually remains patent where grafts can be tried. The popliteal artery is more prone to aneurysm than many other arteries of the body

15. Questions ask 1. Describe popliteal fossa under following headings: Boundaries Contents Clinical anatomy