The popliteal fossa is a diamond-shaped space located behind the knee. It contains the popliteal artery and vein, the tibial and common peroneal nerves, and popliteal lymph nodes. The boundaries of the fossa include muscles like the biceps femoris, semimembranosus, and gastrocnemius. The contents of the fossa are vulnerable because it is a confined space with important neurovascular structures passing through.

1. Popliteal fossa
Dr. Mohammad Mahmoud Mosaed

2. Popliteal fossa
Definition
■ The popliteal fossa is a
diamond-shaped intermuscular
space situated at the back of the
knee.
The fossa is most prominent
when the knee joint is flexed.
The cutaneous nerve supply of the
skin over the popliteal fossa is the
Posterior Cutaneous Nerve of the
Thigh

3. Boundaries of the popliteal fossa
■ Superolateral: Biceps femoris
■ Superomededial: Semimembranosus and
Semitendinosus muscles
■ Inferomedial: Medial head of gastrocnemius muscle
■ Inferolateral: Lateral head of gastrocnemius
muscle
■ Posterior wall (roof): Deep fascia, superficial fascia
and skin
■ Anterior wall (floor): popliteal surface of the femur,
the posterior capsule of the knee joint, and the
fascia covering popliteus muscle.

4. Lateral head
Medial head

5. Floor of the popliteal fossa

6. Contents of Popliteal Fossa
■ The popliteal artery and
popliteal vein
■ The small saphenous
vein,
■ The common peroneal
and tibial nerves
■ The posterior cutaneous
nerve of the thigh,
■ The genicular branch of
the obturator nerve
■ Connective tissue, and
lymph nodes.

8. Popliteal artery
Beginning:
The popliteal artery is the continuation of the
femoral artery at the opening in the adductor
magnus
Termination: at the distal border of popliteus
muscle, where it divides into the anterior and
posterior tibial arteries.
Relations
Anteriorly: The popliteal surface of the femur,
the knee joint, and the popliteus muscle
Posteriorly: The popliteal vein and the tibial
nerve, fascia and skin

11. Branches of the popliteal artery
■ Superior genicular arteries
(medial and lateral)
■ Middle genicular artery
■ Inferior genicular arteries
(medial and lateral)
■ The muscular branches supply
the adductor magnus and the
hamstrings.
■ Cutaneous branches supply the
skin on the back of the leg.
■ Sural arteries supply
gastrocnemius, soleus and
plantaris

13. Popliteal vein
■ Beginning: the vein formed at the distal border of
popliteus by the union of vena comitantes of anterior
and posterior tibial arteries.
■ Termination: The popliteal vein ascends through the
popliteal fossa to the opening in adductor magnus
where it becomes the femoral vein.
■ Relation to the popliteal artery
Distally it is medial to the artery, between the heads
of gastrocnemius it is superficial (posterior) to it, and
proximal to the knee joint it is posterolateral to the
artery.
■ Tributaries of popliteal vein
■ Small saphenous vein,
■ Veins corresponding to branches of the popliteal
artery, and muscular veins, including a large branch
from each head of gastrocnemius

14. The small saphenous vein
■ The small saphenous vein arises on the lateral side
of the foot from the dorsal venous arch
■ Ascends posterior to the lateral malleolus and
passes along the lateral border of the calcaneal
tendon.
■ It inclines to the midline of the fibula and
penetrates the deep fascia.
■ Ascends between the two heads of the
gastrocnemius muscle.
■ drains into the popliteal vein in the popliteal fossa.
■ Tributaries
It connects with deep veins on the dorsum of the
foot, receives many cutaneous tributaries in the
leg, and sends several communicating branches to
join the great saphenous vein

16. Tibial Nerve (Medial popliteal nerve)
■ The larger terminal branch of the sciatic nerve
■ It runs downward through the popliteal fossa,
lying first on the lateral side of the popliteal
artery, then posterior to it, and finally medial
to it.
■ The popliteal vein lies between the nerve and
the artery throughout its course.
■ The nerve enters the posterior compartment of
the leg by passing beneath the soleus muscle
to become the posterior tibial nerve.

17. Branches
■ Cutaneous: The sural nerve
■ Muscular branches supply both
heads of the gastrocnemius and the
plantaris, soleus, and popliteus.
■ Articular branches supply the knee
joint.
■ Terminal branches: medial and
lateral plantar nerves

19. The sural nerve
 The sural nerve descends
between the two heads of the
gastrocnemius muscle and is
usually joined by the sural
communicating branch of the
common peroneal nerve.
 Numerous small branches arise
from the sural nerve to supply the
skin of the back of the leg.
 The sural nerve accompanies the
small saphenous vein behind the
lateral malleolus and is distributed
to the skin along the lateral border
of the foot and the lateral side of
the little toe.

21. Common Peroneal Nerve
■ The smaller terminal branch of the sciatic nerve
■ It runs downward through the popliteal fossa, closely
following the medial border of the biceps muscle.
■ It leaves the fossa by crossing superficially the lateral
head of the gastrocnemius muscle.
■ It then passes behind the head of the fibula, winds
laterally around the neck of the bone, pierces the
peroneus longus muscle, and divides into two terminal
branches: the superficial peroneal nerve and the deep
peroneal nerve.
■ As the nerve lies on the lateral aspect of the neck of
the fibula, it is subcutaneous and can easily be rolled
against the bone.

23. Branches
■ Cutaneous:
■ The sural communicating branch runs
downward and joins the sural nerve.
■ The lateral cutaneous nerve of the calf
supplies the skin on the lateral side of the back
of the leg
■ Muscular branch to the short head of the
biceps femoris muscle
■ Articular branches to the knee joint

25. Popliteal Lymph Nodes
■ About six lymph nodes are embedded in the
fatty connective tissue of the popliteal fossa.
■ They receive superficial lymph vessels from
the lateral side of the foot and leg; these
accompany the small saphenous vein into the
popliteal fossa. They also receive lymph from
the knee joint and from deep lymph vessels
accompanying the anterior and posterior tibial
arteries.