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Navigation of femoral and popliteal artery around the knee with CT angiography: implications for surgical interventions

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Abstract

Purpose

Uncertainty about the exact position of the femoral and popliteal arteries in the medial thigh and posterior knee might increase vascular complications in surgical procedures. This study aimed to document femoral and popliteal arteries in the medial thigh and around the knee to assist surgeons in developing safer surgical approaches.

Methods

The study included 120 patients—180 lower limbs—who underwent CT angiography (CTA) of the lower extremity. The distance from the femoral artery to the anterior border, midsagittal axis, and posterior border of the femur and the popliteal artery to the medial, lateral, and midpoint posterior cortex of the proximal tibia was measured in two- and three-dimensional CTA images.

Results

The femoral artery was found to be on average 236.93 ± 29.61 mm, 195.34 ± 26.12 mm, and 146.28 ± 33.18 mm away from the adductor tubercle at the anterior, midsagittal axis, and posterior borders of the femur, correspondingly. The popliteal artery was to be located on average 5.40 ± 2.50 mm posterior to the midpoint of the plateau tibia at the joint line.

Conclusion

Considering the mentioned femoral/popliteal artery distances to the femur and proximal tibia would direct surgeons to the safe zones for more accurate surgical approaches in the medial thigh and around the knee when performing osteotomies, knee arthroplasty, arthroscopy, and trauma surgeries, to reduce possible vascular damages.

Level of evidence: IV.

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Availability of data and materials

The data have been given in the manuscript body.

Abbreviations

CTA:

Computerized topography angiography

DFO:

Distal femoral osteotomy

HTO:

High tibial osteotomy

TKA:

Total knee arthroplasty

DFA, SFA:

Deep/Superficial femoral artery

PA:

Popliteal artery

MIPO:

Minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis

MR:

Magnetic resonance

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to Deputy of Research, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran for executive support to conduct the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bone Joint and Related Tissues Research Center, Akhtar Orthopedic Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Seyyed-Morteza Kazemi

  2. Bone Joint and Related Tissues Research Center, Akhtar Orthopedic Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Sohrab Keyhani & Seyyed-Mohsen Hosseininejad

  3. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shohada Tajrish Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mehrdad Sadighi

  4. Joint, Bone, Connective Tissue Rheumatology Research Center (JBCRC), Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran

    Seyyed-Mohsen Hosseininejad

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  1. Seyyed-Morteza Kazemi
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  2. Sohrab Keyhani
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  4. Seyyed-Mohsen Hosseininejad
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Contributions

S-MK did definition of intellectual content, manuscript editing and manuscript review. SK did study design, manuscript editing and manuscript review. MS did data acquisition, manuscript editing and manuscript review. S-M, H proposed the study concept, design, definition of intellectual content, literature search, data acquisition, data analysis, statistical analysis, manuscript and figures preparation, manuscript editing and manuscript review.

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Correspondence to Seyyed-Mohsen Hosseininejad.

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SBMU.RETECH.REC.1399.1097 / All presentations of case reports must have consent for publication.

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Kazemi, SM., Keyhani, S., Sadighi, M. et al. Navigation of femoral and popliteal artery around the knee with CT angiography: implications for surgical interventions. Surg Radiol Anat 45, 1515–1523 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-023-03241-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-023-03241-5

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