Arteries Leg (Right)

Medial Circumflex Artery

The medial circumflex femoral artery (internal circumflex artery, medial femoral circumflex artery) is an artery in the upper thigh that helps supply blood to the neck of the femur. Damage to the artery following a femoral neck fracture may lead to avascular necrosis (ischemic) of the femoral neck/head;

 

Deep Femoral Artery

The deep artery of the thigh, (profunda femoris artery or deep femoral artery) is a branch of the femoral artery that, as its name suggests, travels more deeply (posteriorly) than the rest of the femoral artery;

 

Ascending Lateral Circumflex

The ascending branch of lateral circumflex femoral artery passes upward, beneath the tensor fasciae latae muscle, to the lateral aspect of the hip, and anastomoses with the terminal branches of the superior gluteal and deep circumflex iliac artery;

 

Femoral Artery

The femoral artery (Latin: arteria femoralis) is the second largest artery in the body (second to the aorta) and is in the thigh and the main arterial supply to the lower limb. It enters the thigh from behind the inguinal ligament as the common femoral artery, a continuation of the external iliac artery. Here, it lies midway between the anterior superior iliac spine and the symphysis pubis. The common femoral artery gives off the profunda femoris arteryand becomes the superficial femoral artery to descend along the anteromedial part of the thigh in the femoral triangle. It enters and passes through the adductor (subsartorial) canal, and becomes the popliteal artery as it passes through an opening in adductor magnus near the junction of the middle and distal thirds of the thigh;

 

Popliteal Artery

The popliteal artery is a deeply placed continuation of the femoral artery after it passes through the adductor hiatus, or opening in the distal portion of the adductor magnus muscle. It courses through the popliteal fossa and ends at the lower border of the popliteus muscle, where it branches into the anterior and posterior tibial arteries.The deepest (most anterior) structure in the fossa, the popliteal artery runs in close proximity to the joint capsule of the knee as it spans the intercondylar fossa. Five genicular branches of the popliteal artery supply the capsule and ligaments of the knee joint. The genicular arteries are the superior lateral, superior medial, middle, inferior lateral, and inferior medial genicular arteries. They participate in the formation of the periarticular genicular anastomosis, a network of vessels surrounding the knee that provides collateral circulation capable of maintaining blood supply to the leg during full knee flexion, which may kink the popliteal artery;

 

Descending Genicular Artery

The descending genicular artery (highest genicular artery) arises from the femoral artery just before it passes through the adductor hiatus;

 

Posterior Tibial Artery

The posterior tibial artery of the lower limb carries blood to the posterior compartment of the leg and plantar surface of the foot, from the popliteal artery via the tibial-fibular trunk. It is accompanied by a deep vein, the posterior tibial vein, along its course;

 

Circumflex Fibular Artery

This is a branch of the posterior tibial artery which supplies blood to the knee;

 

Medial Tarsal Arteries

The medial tarsal arteries are two or three small branches which ramify on the medial border of the foot and join the medial malleolar network;

 

Dorsal Metatarsal  Arteries

The arcuate artery of the foot gives off the second, third, and fourth dorsal metatarsal arteries, which run forward upon the corresponding Interossei dorsales, in the clefts between the toes, each divides into two dorsal digital branches for the adjoining toes. At the proximal parts of the interosseous spaces these vessels receive the posterior perforating branches from the plantar arch, and at the distal parts of the spaces they are joined by the anterior perforating branches, from the plantar metatarsal arteries. The fourth dorsal metatarsal artery gives off a branch which supplies the lateral side of the fifth toe. The first dorsal metatarsal artery runs forward on the first Interosseous dorsalis;

 

Anterior Tibial Artery

The anterior tibial artery of the leg carries blood to the anterior compartment of the leg and dorsal surface of the foot, from the popliteal artery. It is accompanied by the anterior tibial vein, along its course. It crosses the anterior aspect of the ankle joint, at which point it becomes the dorsalis pedis artery;

 

Transverse Lateral Circumflex

is a small artery in the thigh. It is the smallest branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery and passes lateralward over the vastus intermedius, pierces the vastus lateralis, and winds around the femur, just below the greater trochanter, anastomosing on the back of the thigh with the medial femoral circumflex artery, the inferior gluteal artery, and the perforating arteries of the profunda femoris artery;

 

Lateral Circumflex

The lateral circumflex femoral artery arises from the side of the deep femoral artery, which supplies much of the musculature in the front and middle compartments of the thigh. Some of its vessels penetrate through the muscles to the back compartment and contribute to the supply of the hamstrings. The lateral circumflex femoral artery passes behind the sartorius and rectus femoris muscles, where it divides into three branches: the ascending, transverse, and descending branches;

 

Descending Lateral Circumflex

The descending branch of lateral circumflex femoral artery runs downward, behind the rectus femoris, upon the vastus lateralis, to which it gives offsets, one long branch descends in the muscle as far as the knee, and anastomoses with the superior lateral genicular artery. It is accompanied by the branch of the femoral nerve to the vastus lateralis muscle;

 

Saphenous Descending Genicular

The saphenous branch of descending genicular artery pierces the aponeurotic covering of the adductor canal, and accompanies the saphenous nerve to the medial side of the knee. It passes between the Sartorius and Gracilis, and, piercing the fascia lata, is distributed to the integument of the upper and medial part of the leg, anastomosing with the medial inferior genicular artery;

 

Articular Descending Genicular

The articular branches of descending genicular artery descend in the substance of the vastus medialis muscle, and in front of the tendon of the adductor magnus muscle, to the medial side of the knee, where they anastomose with the medial superior genicular and anterior recurrent tibial artery. A branch from this vessel crosses above the patellar surface of the femur, forming an anastomotic arch with the lateral superior genicular artery, and supplying branches to the knee-joint;

 

Medial Inferior Genicular

This is an artery of the leg. It first descends along the upper margin of the popliteus, to which it gives branches; it then passes below the medial condyle of the tibia, beneath the tibial collateral ligament, at the anterior border of which it ascends to the front and medial side of the joint, to supply the upper end of the tibia and the knee-joint, anastomosing with the lateral inferior and medial superior genicular arteries;

 

Lateral Inferior Genicular

This is an artery of the leg. It runs lateralward above the head of the fibula to the front of the knee-joint, passing in its course beneath the lateral head of the gastrocnemius, the fibular collateral ligament, and the tendon of the biceps femoris;

 

Anterior Tibial Recurrent

The anterior tibial recurrent artery is a small artery in the leg. It arises from the anterior tibial artery, as soon as that vessel has passed through the interosseous space. It ascends in the tibialis anterior muscle, ramifies on the front and sides of the knee-joint, and assists in the formation of the patellar plexus by anastomosing with the genicular branches of the popliteal, and with the highest genicular artery;

 

Fibular Artery

In anatomy, the fibular artery (also known as the peroneal artery) supplies blood to the lateral compartment of the leg. It arises from the tibial-fibular trunk;

 

Lateral Tarsal Artery

These arises from the dorsalis pedis, as that vessel crosses the navicular bone, it passes in an arched direction lateralward, lying upon the tarsal bones, and covered by extensor hallucis brevis and extensor digitorum brevis, it supplies these muscles and the articulations of the tarsus, and receives the arcuate over the base of the fifth metatarsal. It may receive contributions from branches of the anterior lateral malleolar and the perforating branch of the peroneal artery directed towards the joint capsule, and from the lateral plantar arteries through perforating arteries of the foot;

 

Arcuate Artery

The arcuate artery of the foot (metatarsal artery) arises from dorsalis pedis slightly anterior to the lateral tarsal artery, specifically over the naviculocuneiform joint, it passes lateralward, over the bases of the lateral four metatarsal bones, beneath the tendons of the extensor digitorum brevis, its direction being influenced by its point of origin, and it terminates in the lateral tarsal artery. It communicates with the plantar arteries through the perforating arteries of the foot;

 

Dorsal Digital Arteries

The dorsal digital arteries of foot are small arteries which supply the toes;