Anatomy study note · Lower limb

Popliteal vein

Formed at the lower border of popliteus by the venae comitantes of the anterior and posterior tibial arteries; it becomes the femoral vein at the adductor hiatus.

Key points

• Tibial venae comitantes → popliteal → femoral vein.
• Between the popliteal artery and tibial nerve.
• Receives the small saphenous vein.
• Vessels: mesodermal, from angioblastic tissue.
• Varicose veins: incompetent valves, usually leg.
• Vein: thin wall, adventitia thickest, valves.

The full note in the atlas also covers

Course · Tributaries · Histology · Development

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Written from

• Snell’s Clinical Anatomy by Regions, 10th ed., ch. 11, PDF p. 1335
• Inderbir Singh’s Human Embryology, ch. 15, PDF p. 236
• BRS Cell Biology & Histology, 7th ed., ch. 11, PDF pp. 203–205, 205

More from the lower limb

• Popliteus
• Posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh
• Posterior tibial artery
• Profunda femoris artery
• Quadriceps femoris
• Retinacula of the ankle
• Saphenous nerve
• Sartorius
• Sciatic nerve
• Semimembranosus
• Semitendinosus
• Short lateral rotators of the hip

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