Veins of Lower Limbs

The human body consists of an intricate network of veins responsible for the crucial task of blood drainage from the lower limbs. These veins can be categorized into two main types: deep veins and superficial veins.

Formed by the union of the medial and lateral plantar veins, the posterior tibial vein, rising through the calf muscle, assimilates the fibular vein. The anterior tibial vein, a superior extension of the foot's dorsalis pedis vein, merges with the posterior tibial vein at the knee, giving rise to the popliteal vein situated at the back of the knee. As it leaves the knee, the popliteal vein transforms into the femoral vein, tasked with draining the deep structures of the thigh. Upon entering the pelvis, the femoral vein evolves into the external iliac vein. This vein then combines with the internal iliac vein to form the common iliac vein, following a distribution pattern akin to that of the internal iliac arteries.

Superficial veins, on the other hand, are closer to the body's surface. The great and small saphenous veins originate from the foot's dorsal venous arch. They frequently interconnect with each other and with the deep veins throughout their course. The great saphenous vein, the body's longest vein, runs superiorly along the leg's medial aspect to the thigh, where it drains into the femoral vein near the inguinal ligament. The small saphenous vein traverses the foot's lateral aspect and the calf muscles' deep fascia, ultimately draining into the popliteal vein at the knee.