Biometric Study of the Bifurcations of the Popliteal Artery and the Tibiofibular Trunk Estudio Biométrico de las Bifurcaciones de la Arteria Poplítea y del Tronco Tibiofibular

HIRANO, M. B.; TELES, H. R.; MACEDO, T.; SGROTT, E. A.; STUKER, H.; OLAVE, E. & MOREIRA, R. S. Biometric studyof the bifurcations of the popliteal artery and the tibiofibular trunk. Int. J. Morphol., 32(4):1383-1387, 2014.SUMMARY: The popliteal artery is located deep inside the popliteal fossa, and is an important landmark in surgical procedures.Lesions of this vessel and its branches can be dangerous, blocking circulation to the lower limb and leading to gangrene or eve n vascularfailure. The aim of this work was to describe the biometric characteristics of the bifurcations of the popliteal artery and the tibiofibulartrunk in relation to the head of the fibula in 38 lower limbs through dissection. The bifurcation of the both arteries was pres ent in all thecases. The mean confidence interval for the bifurcation of the popliteal artery was from 2.82 cm to 3.18 cm from the head of th e fibula,and that of the bifurcation of the tibiofibular trunk was from 5.72 cm to 6.68 cm. The bifurcation of the popliteal artery into the anteriortibial artery and tibiofibular trunk showed a more constant positioning than the level of the birfurcation of the posterior tib ial artery andfibular artery. These data can help in the development of new access routes to these arteries, or the optimization of surgical planning inthe region in question.KEY WORDS: Anatomy; Lower limb; Popliteal region; Popliteal artery.