A patient who has had a skiing accident is brought to the emergency room. The region around his knee is swollen. The skin of his foot is pale and no dorsalis pedis pulse can be detected. An X-ray reveals a fracture of the femur immediately proximal to the femoral condyles. Which of the following aeries has been compressed by the displacement of this fracture?
Correct Answer: Popliteal aery
Description: The patient has suffered a supracondylar fracture of the femur. The supracondylar surface of the femur forms the floor of the popliteal fossa. This fossa contains the popliteal aery, in close proximity to the femur. After crossing the knee this aery divides into the anterior and posterior tibial aeries, which supply the leg and foot.Note:The anterior tibial aery is a branch of the popliteal aery that arises distal to the knee and would therefore not be compressed by a femoral fracture. The anterior tibial aery is renamed the dorsalis pedis aery after it crosses the ankle. The femoral aery is in the anterior compament of the thigh. After passing through the adductor hiatus to reach the popliteal fossa, the femoral aery is renamed the popliteal aery. The posterior tibial aery is a branch of the popliteal aery that arises distal to the knee and would therefore not be compressed by a femoral fracture. The posterior tibial aery passes through the posterior compament of the leg and, after passing behind the medial malleolus of the ankle, divides into the medial and lateral plantar aeries. Ref: Moon D.A., Foreman K.B., Albeine K.H. (2011). Chapter 36. Thigh. In D.A. Moon, K.B. Foreman, K.H. Albeine (Eds), The Big Picture: Gross Anatomy.
Category:
Anatomy
Get More
Subject Mock Tests
Practice with over 200,000 questions from various medical subjects and improve your knowledge.
Attempt a mock test nowMock Exam
Take an exam with 100 random questions selected from all subjects to test your knowledge.
Coming SoonGet More
Subject Mock Tests
Try practicing mock tests with over 200,000 questions from various medical subjects.
Attempt a mock test now