Popliteal fossa
The popliteal fossa is a shallow depression located at the back of the knee joint. The bones of the popliteal fossa are the femur and the tibia. Like other flexion surfaces of large joints, it is an area where blood vessels and nerves pass relatively superficially, and with an increased number of lymph nodes.
Structure
Boundaries
The boundaries of the fossa are:| Medial | Lateral | |
| Superior | the semimembranosus & semitendinosus muscles | the biceps femoris muscle |
| Inferior | the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle | the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle and plantaris muscle |
Roof
Moving from superficial to deep structures, the roof is formed by:- the skin.
- the superficial fascia. This contains the small saphenous vein, the terminal branch of the posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh, posterior division of the medial cutaneous nerve, lateral sural cutaneous nerve, and medial sural cutaneous nerve.
- the popliteal fascia.
Floor
- the popliteal surface of the femur.
- the capsule of the knee joint and the oblique popliteal ligament.
- strong fascia covering the popliteus muscle.
Contents
- tibial nerve
- common fibular nerve
- popliteal vein
- popliteal artery, a continuation of the femoral artery
- small saphenous vein
- Popliteal lymph nodes and vessels