- Arterial supply.
- Venous drainage.
- Innervation.
Arterial supply of the leg
Popliteal artery
Branches
- Anterior tibial artery.
- Posterior tibial artery.
- Fibular (peroneal artery)
- Sural arteries.
- Superior, middle, and inferior branches, on both lateral and medial aspects, to the knee (genicular arteries)
Course
The popliteal artery, formed from the femoral artery after the adductor hiatus, is found in the popliteal fossa, medially to the popliteal vein and tibial nerve.
It passes between the heads of the soleus muscle and divides into its two major branches.
Two sural arteries arise from each side to supply the gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantaris muscles.
Superior, middle, and inferior genicular arteries, from both medial and lateral aspects, anastomose with the descending genicular artery from the femoral artery, and the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery.