venous drainage of the lower limb

14 September 2012
Dept. Diagnostic Radiology UFS
M. Pieters

Configuration
 Superficial venous system
 Deep venous system
 Intercommunicating veins

Blood flow mechanism
 From superficial system to deep system
 Soleal Pump Mechanism
 Valves

Doppler US – Incompetent
valve in great saphenous vein

Superficial Veins
 Drain subcutaneous tissues
 Two main channels
• Lesser (short) saphenous vein
• Great (long) saphenous vein

Lesser saphenous vein
 Arises at lateral side of dorsal venous arch
 Passes posterior to Lateral Malleolus
 Passes superiorly at posterior aspect of
calf
 Pierces fascia of popliteal fossa
 Drains into Popliteal vein @ SP-junction
 Short saphenous perforators continue
superiorly -> Great saphenous and Deep
femoral veins

Great Saphenous Vein
 Arises at medial aspect of dorsal venous
arch
 Passes anterior to Medial Malleolus
 Courses superiorly in medial aspect of
leg
 Empties into Femoral Vein via
Saphenous opening in lower part of
inguinal triangle

Great Saphenous Vein
cont..
 Communicates with deep veins via a
variable amount and arrangement of
perforating veins
 Inconstant except :
• Above ankle at medial aspect
• Above the knee at medial aspect

Deep Venous System
 Paired with namesake arteries as venae
commitantes
 Arise as:
• Digital and metatarsal veins in the sole
• Medial and Lateral Plantar veins
• Unite to form the Posterior Tibial Veins

Deep Venous System
cont…
 Anterior Tibial Veins:
• Arise as Venae commitantes
of Dorsalis Pedis Artery
• Pass posteriorly through
upper interosseuous
membrane
• Join Posterior Tibial Veins to
form the Popliteal Vein

Deep Venous System
cont…
 Popliteal vein traverses the Adductor
Hiatus -> forms Superficial Femoral Vein
 Superficial Femoral Vein passes under
inguinal ligament -> External Iliac Vein
 Deep Femoral Veins drain the posterior
aspect of the thigh into the Common
Femoral Vein

Iliac Veins
 The Internal and External
Iliac Veins accompany
their namesake arteries
 Lie postero-medially to
the arteries

Iliac Veins
 Common Iliac Vein
• Forms anterior to the SI-joint
• Unites with contralateral Common Iliac
Vein - on right side of L5 vertebra -> IVC
• The Right Common Iliac Vein lies
posterolaterally to the Right Common
Iliac Artery

Congenital Abnormalities
 Sacrocardinal veins fromed @ 7th week
 Left Common Iliac Vein anastomoses
with the Sacrocardinal veins
 The Right Sacrocardinal Vein later
becomes the Sacrocardinal segment of
the IVC

Congenital Abnormalities
 Estimated 1% incidence
 Most common is the Double IVC (0.2-
3%)
• Left sacrocardinal veins fails to
disconnect from the Left Subcardinal
Vein
• Left Cava rejoins the Right Cava via the
Left Renal Vein

Cockett’s Point
 The left Common Iliac Vein is longer and
is crossed by the Right Common Iliac
Artery
 Filling defects due to flow phenomenon
in the Left Common Iliac Vein

May-Thurner Syndrome
 (Cockett syndrome; iliocaval
compression syndrome)
 Anatomical variant - Compression of
Left common iliac vein by the Right
common iliac artery
 DVT formation may result
 May be asymptomatic
 DX on CT or MR venogram
 May be missed on US

May-Thurner Syndrome MR-
venogram
November 2004 Radiology,233, 361-365.

Bibliography
 Applied Radiological Anatomy: Butler
 Atlas of Vascular Anatomy an Angiographic Approach:
Second Edition. Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins ©
2007
 November 2004 Radiology,233, 361-365 : May-Thurner
Syndrome – Barbaros et al
 Journal of Vascular Surgery Volume 40 issue 4, October 2004,
Pages 604–611: Re-evaluation of iliac compression
syndrome using magnetic resonance imaging in patients
with acute deep venous thromboses – Douglas G.W. Fraser
 http://www.phlebolymphology.org New computer tools for
virtual dissection to study the anatomy of the vascular
system - Jean-François et al

venous drainage of the lower limb

In this document