Professor and Head, Department of Anatomy, K.J.Somaiya Medical College, Somaiya Ayurvihar, Eastern Express Highway, Mumbai-400 022, Maharashtra, India.
Popliteal Artery ,Anterior Tibial Artery ,Popliteus Muscle ,Posterior Peroneotibial Trunk ,Posterior Tibial Artery ,Peroneal Artery ,Tendinous Arch of Soleus ,Orthopaedicians ,Arthroscopic Knee Surgery ,

Aim to study the termination of popliteal artery. 100 lower limbs of 50 donated embalmed cadavers (45 males & 5 females) of age group ranging from 70 to 80 years were dissected in the department of Anatomy at K. J. Somaiya Medical College, Sion, Mumbai, INDIA. The variant termination of popliteal artery was observed in 2 specimens. The neurovascular pattern in the leg was also studied. The photographs of the variation were taken for proper documentation. We observed the variant termination of popliteal artery proximal to the popliteus muscle in two lower limb. The anterior tibial artery ran downward on the posterior surface of the popliteus muscle. The posterior peroneotibial trunk distal to the tendinous arch of soleus muscle divides into the posterior tibial and the peroneal arteries. The further course of anterior, posterior tibial and peroneal arteries was normal. There were no associated neuromuscular variations found in same specimen. Both the variations were seen in left lower limb. The right lower limb of the same cadaver was normal. The arthroscopic knee surgery is a convenient and preferred surgical procedure. The knowledge of branching pattern of popliteal artery is important for surgical interventions in the popliteal region in order to minimize the surgical complications due to anatomical variations. Therefore the origin of anterior tibial artery from the popliteal artery proximal to the popliteus muscle is an important anatomical variation which should be kept in mind by the orthopaedicians doing knee joint surgery and total knee arthroplasty, by the surgeons operating on aneurysms of popliteal artery and by the radiologist performing angiographic study.

5 , 1 , 2015