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Blood supply of the lower limbs
1 - The abdominal aorta divides at the level of L 4 into Right and left common iliac arteries
2 - Each common iliac artery divides into
external and internal iliac arteries 3 - The external iliac artery becomes the femoral artery ( as it passes behind the inguinal ligament ) which will be the main blood supply to the whole lower limb 4 - The internal iliac artery shares in
the blood supply of the lower limb
through its branches, for example, the superior and inferior gluteal arteries and obturator 30 / 01 / 2016
5 - THE FEMORAL ARTERY ( to be discussed later) begins midinguinal point and endsat the opining in the adductor magnus where it becomes THE POPLITEALARTERY 6 - The popliteal artery Ends at the lower border of the popliteus muscle by dividing into ANTERIOR AND POSTERIOR TIBIAL ARTERIES 7 - The anterior tibial artery supplies the anterior compartment of the leg and terminates in front of the ankle joint by becoming THE DORSALIS PEDIS ARTERY
8 - The posterior tibial artery supplies the posterior
and the lateral compartments of the leg ends deep to the flexor retinaculum by dividing Into MEDIALAND LATERAL PLANTERARTERIES which supply the sole (^30) / 01 / 2016
3 - As the femoral artery descends downwards, its upper half lies
superficial
in the
femoral
triangle
while in the lower half
it lies deep in the
subsartorial
(adductor) canal
4 - The femoral artery then descends almost vertically toward the adductor tubercle of the femur and ends at the opening (Adductor hiatus) in the adductor magnus muscle by entering the popliteal space as THE POPLITEAL ARTERY Dr .Amja d shatarat
Where should you palpate the pulse
of
different arteries in the lower limb?
The femoral artery
In the femoral triangle, its pulse is easily felt just inferior to the inguinal ligament midway between the pubic symphysis and the anterior superior iliac spine.
The dorsalis pedis artery
Passes onto the dorsal aspect of the foot and anteriorly over the tarsal bones where it lies between and is parallel to the tendon of extensor hallucis longus and the tendon of extensor digitorum longus to the second toe. The artery may be absent in around 15 % of people
Some healthy
adults (and even children) have congenitally nonpalpable dorsalis pedis pulses; the variation is
usually bilateral. In these cases,
the dorsal artery of the foot is replaced by an enlarged perforating fibular artery.
