Popliteal fossa / Anatomy / Simplified / - Boundaries and Contents /Animated

Опубликовано: 21 Март 2026
на канале: Smart Med Learn Dr. Ankit Jain

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Popliteal fossa
The popliteal fossa is a diamond-shaped hollow on the back of the knee joint. It becomes prominent when the knee is flexed.

Boundaries
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Superomedially: Semitendinosus and semimembranosus.
Superolaterally: Biceps femoris.
Inferomedially: Medial head of gastrocnemius.
Inferolaterally: Lateral head of gastrocnemius supplemented by the plantaris.

Floor (or anterior wall) : It is formed from above downward by:
(a) The popliteal surface of the femur.
(b) The capsule of the knee joint and oblique popliteal ligament.
(c) The popliteal fascia covering the popliteus muscle.

Roof (or posterior wall): It is formed from the strong popliteal fascia. The superficial fascia over the roof contains:
(a) Short saphenous vein.
(b) Three cutaneous nerves: (i) terminal part of the posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh, (ii) posterior division of the medial cutaneous nerve of the thigh, and (iii) sural communicating nerve).

The roof is pierced by all these structures except the posterior division of medial cutaneous nerve of the thigh .

Contents
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The main contents of the popliteal fossa are:
1. Popliteal artery and its branches.
2. Popliteal vein and its tributaries.
3. Tibial nerve and its branches.
4. Common peroneal nerve and its branches.
5. Popliteal lymph nodes.
6. Popliteal pad of fat.

In addition to the above-mentioned structures, the popliteal fossa also contains the following structures:
1. Posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh (terminal part).
2. Descending genicular branch of the obturator nerve.
3. Terminal part of short saphenous vein.
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