Normal anatomy

• continuation of A.femoralis superficialis
• continues as Truncus tibiofibularis/A.tibialis anterior

Clinically important parts (for surgical access reasons):

• Pars 1: from Hiatus adductorius to upper head of the medial Musculus gastrocnemius/superior joint arteries
• Pars 2: mid part dorsal of the knee joint between superior and inferior joint arteries
• Pars 3: from inferior joint arteries to the origin of the A.tibialis anterior

Normal size

External sonographic diameter of A.poplitea in healthy subjects (after Wolf 2006)

Mean Diameter [mm]	Men (n=104)	Women (n=100)
Proximal A.poplitea	6.9 ± 0.9	6.0 ± 0.6
Mid A.poplitea	6.8 ± 0.8	6.0 ± 0.7
Distal A.poplitea	4.9 ± 0.6	4.4 ± 0.6

 

Major branches

• Arteria tibialis anterior
• Arteria fibularis
• Arteria tibialis posterior

Minor branches

• Arteriae surales
• Arteria genus media
• Arteria superior medialis genus
• Arteria superior lateralis genus
• Arteria inferior lateralis genus
• Arteria inferior medialis genus

Variations

Branching pattern from angiographic studies (according to Kil 2009):

Branching pattern	(n=1242)	%
Normal level of AP branching	Usual pattern	89.2
	Trifurcation	1.5
	Anterior tibioperoneal trunk	0.1
High division of AP	ATA at/above joint	1.2
	ATP at/above joint; common trunk AF/ATA	0.4
	AF at/above joint; common trunk ATA/ATP	0.0
Hypo-/Aplastic branching	ATP	5.1
	ATA	1.7
	ATP and ATA	0.8
ATA A.tibialis anterior, ATP A.tibialis posterior, AF A.fibularis, AP A.poplitea

 

Pathologies

• Popliteal aneurysm
• Popliteal entrapment syndrome
• Cystic adventitial degeneration