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Concept Version 12
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Veins of the Lower Limbs

The deep veins of the lower extremity have valves for unidirectional flow and accompany the arteries and their branches.

Learning Objective

  • Outline the flow of blood in the veins of the lower limbs


Key Points

    • The tibial veins unite to form the popliteal vein.
    • The femoral vein is the ascending part of the popliteal vein.
    • The femoral vein accompanies the femoral artery into the thigh. It is later joined by the great saphenous vein forming the external iliac vein.

Terms

  • Femoral Vein

    A blood vessel that accompanies the femoral artery in the thigh. It merges with the great saphenous vein to form the external iliac vein.

  • great saphenous ve

    A long vein which runs the length of the leg before joining the femoral vein to form the external iliac vein.

  • popliteal vein

    Derived from the merging of the tibial veins it forms the femoral vein mid thigh.

  • Tibial Vein

    Blood vessel of the calves which return blood from the foot, ankle and calf and merges into the popliteal vein behind the knee.


Full Text

The deep veins of the leg accompany the arteries and their branches and possess numerous valves that aid in unidirectional blood flow. The musculature of the leg is key in generating pressure in the veins to prevent pooling.

The posterior and anterior tibial veins return blood from the calf, ankle, and foot and merge into the popliteal vein behind the knee. The popliteal vein then carries blood from the knee joint up through the thigh. Mid-thigh, it becomes the femoral vein, which is closely associated with the femoral artery. The femoral vein merges with the great saphenous vein in the groin to form the external iliac vein.

Running the full length of the leg, making it the longest vein in the body, the great saphenous vein is a superficial vein that returns blood from the foot and superficial muscles of the leg before merging with the femoral vein to form the external iliac vein.

Veins of the lower extremities

The great saphenous vein and its tributaries, shown in blue, drain blood from the lower limbs.

Veins of the lower extremities

The popliteal vein, shown here in blue, extends from the hip to the knee and helps drain blood from the lower extremities.

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