The popliteal artery supplies blood to the knee joints and calf and thigh muscles, and can be difficult to feel. Blockage or damage can cause pain, gangrene, and difficulty walking. Problems include popliteal artery aneurysm and popliteal artery entrapment syndrome.
An artery is a type of blood vessel responsible for carrying oxygenated blood from the heart and distributing it to various tissues in the body. The popliteal artery is a blood vessel located behind the knee. Together with its many branches, it provides blood supply to the knee joints and calf and thigh muscles. The popliteal artery lies deep, often making it difficult to feel with the hand.
When the femoral artery, which comes from the upper thigh, enters the space at the back of the knee, called the popliteal fossa, it becomes the popliteal artery. From the popliteal fossa, it divides into many branches to supply blood to the area around the knee. As it leaves the popliteal fossa, it divides into two arteries — the posterior tibial artery and the anterior tibial artery — supplying blood flow to the lower leg and foot. The popliteal vein runs side by side with the popliteal artery and carries deoxygenated blood back to the heart.
Injury, damage, or blockage of the popliteal artery can cause partial or complete blockage of blood flow to the lower leg and foot, resulting in difficulty walking. Symptoms of decreased blood supply to the lower leg often include pain when resting or walking, and gangrene. Gangrene is tissue death, causing the skin to appear black and foul-smelling, and if not treated early, may require amputation of the lower limb.
Some problems that can occur in this artery are a popliteal artery aneurysm (PAA) and popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES). They are commonly seen in the elderly population, smokers, and individuals with heart disease and diabetes.
A PAA is a weakening of the artery wall in the knee, which causes the artery to swell. Patients with PAA usually experience tingling sensations in their lower legs. Most PAAs occur in both legs and are often associated with abdominal aortic aneurysms.
PAES occurs due to the anatomical relationship of the artery with the calf muscles. Because the popliteal artery is located between the heads of the gastrocnemius, or calf muscles, any abnormality in the calf muscles can compress the artery. Individuals suffering from PAES are generally young, healthy, athletic males. Symptoms include calf pain and numbness in the foot when walking.
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