- MeSH
- Aneurysm etiology physiopathology therapy MeSH
- Popliteal Artery abnormalities physiopathology MeSH
- Cyanosis etiology physiopathology therapy MeSH
- Complex Regional Pain Syndromes etiology physiopathology therapy MeSH
- Extremities blood supply physiopathology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Peripheral Vascular Diseases * etiology classification physiopathology therapy MeSH
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome etiology physiopathology therapy MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
OBJECTIVE: The goal of our study was to analyze the prevalence of branching pattern variations in the popliteal artery (PA) along with morphometrics of the PA to better address its importance in disease and vascular surgical procedures. METHODS: An extensive search for the PA and its anatomic variations was done in the major online medical databases. The anatomic data found were extracted and pooled for a meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 33 studies (N = 12,757 lower limbs) were included in the analysis. The most common variant was a division of the PA below the knee into the anterior tibial artery and a common trunk for the posterior tibial and peroneal arteries, with a prevalence of 92.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 90.2-93.8). The second most common variation was a trifurcation pattern of all three branches dividing within 0.5 cm of each other, with a prevalence of 2.4% (95% CI, 1.4-3.5). Of the three studies that reported the diameter of the PA at the level of the subcondylar plane, a mean diameter of 8 mm (95% CI, 7.29-8.70) was found. CONCLUSIONS: The PA most commonly divides below the knee into the anterior tibial artery and the common trunk of the posterior tibial artery and the peroneal artery. Knowledge of the prevalence of possible variations in this anatomy as well as morphometric data is crucial in the planning and execution of any surgical intervention in the area of the knee.
- MeSH
- Popliteal Artery abnormalities diagnostic imaging surgery MeSH
- Tibial Arteries abnormalities diagnostic imaging surgery MeSH
- Vascular Malformations diagnostic imaging epidemiology surgery MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Prevalence MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Meta-Analysis MeSH
- Review MeSH
