Laboratory Identifications and Relations - Posterior Thigh and Popliteal Fossa

Structural Basis of Medical Practice -- Gross Anatomy

The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine

Note: This guide is not exhaustive.  The relations are incomplete.  The intent is to highlight observation through dissection.
  1. Short head biceps - receiving lateral branch of sciatic n. (peroneal portion)
  2. Long head biceps - receiving medial branch from sciatic n. (tibial portion), crossing posterior to axis of  knee (flexor of knee)
  3. Perforating a. - piercing adductor magnus, medial to femur
  4. Ischial tuberosity - origin of hamstrings, posterior to horizontal axis of hip joint (extensors of hip)
  5. Semimembranosus - deep (ant.) to semitendinosus, crossing posterior to knee axis (flexor of knee), posterior axis of  hip (extensor of  hip)
  6. semitendinosus - crossing posterior to knee axis (flexor of knee), posterior to axis of hip (extensor of hip), inserting at pes anserinus
  7. gracilis - crossing posterior to knee axis (flexor of knee), medial to axis of hip (adductor of hip), inserting at pes anserinus
  8. sartorious - crossing posterior axis of knee (flexor of knee), anterolateral to axis of hip (abductor, flexor, and lateral rotator of hip), inserting at pes anserinus
  9. pes anserinus - anteromedial upper tibia, "inverted tripod", pierced by saphenous n.
  10. Adductor magnus - receiving branch from medial aspect (tibial) of sciatic n., poster part from ischial tuberosity (does not cross knee joint)
  11. Popliteal a. - entering popliteal region through the adductor hiatus, anterior (deep) to popliteal v.
  12. Popliteal v. - superficial (post.) to popliteal a.
  13. Sciatic n. - superficial (post.) to popliteal v.
  14. Lesser (short) saphenous v. - entering popliteal v.
  15. Superior medial genicular a. - superior to medial femoral epicondyle (and adductor tubercle) at origin of  medial head gastrocnemius
  16. Superior lateral genicular a. - superior to lateral femoral epicondyle at tendinous origin of lateral head gastrocnemius
  17. Inferior medial genicular a. - immediately inferior to axis of knee, deep (ant.) to medial head head gastrocnemius
  18. Inferior lateral genicular a. - immediately inferior to axis of knee, deep to lateral head gastrocnemius
  19. Middle genicular a. - piercing posterior capsule of knee joint near the axis
  20. Common peroneal n. - branching laterally from sciatic toward head of the fibular
  21. Tibial n. - coursing inferior deep to the heads of origin of the soleus
  22. Sural aa. - branching from popliteal and supplying heads of the gastrocnemius
  23. Plantaris tendon - posterior (superficial) to the  tibial n.
  24. Lateral sural cutaneous n. - branching from common peroneal n.
  25. Medial sural cutaneous n. - branching from tibial n.
  26. Communicating branch of peroneal n. - converging onto medial sural cutaneous n. to form sural nerve
  27. Sural n. - in "fat path" between heads of gastrocnemius
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The Structural Basis of Medical Practice