The descending genicular artery (highest genicular artery) arises from the
femoral artery just before it passes through the
adductor hiatus.
It immediately divides into two branches:
* a saphenous branch, which classically
joins with the medial inferior genicular artery.
* muscular and articular branches.
Structure
Saphenous branch
The saphenous branch pierces the aponeurotic covering of the
adductor canal, and accompanies the
saphenous nerve to the medial side of the knee. It passes between the
sartorius muscle
The sartorius muscle () is the longest muscle in the human body. It is a long, thin, superficial muscle that runs down the length of the thigh in the Anterior compartment of thigh, anterior compartment.
Structure
The sartorius muscle originates f ...
and the
gracilis muscle, and, piercing the
fascia lata
The fascia lata is the deep fascia of the thigh. It encloses the thigh muscles and forms the outer limit of the fascial compartments of thigh, which are internally separated by the medial intermuscular septum and the lateral intermuscular septu ...
, is distributed to the integument of the upper and medial part of the leg, anastomosing with the
medial inferior genicular artery.
Articular branches
The articular branches descend within the
vastus medialis muscle
The vastus medialis (vastus internus or teardrop muscle) is an extensor muscle located medially in the thigh that extends the knee. The vastus medialis is part of the quadriceps muscle group.
Structure
The vastus medialis is a muscle present ...
, and in front of the tendon of the
adductor magnus muscle, to the medial side of the knee, where they join with the
medial superior genicular and
anterior recurrent tibial artery
The anterior tibial recurrent artery is a small artery in the leg. It arises from the anterior tibial artery, as soon as that vessel has passed through the interosseous space. It ascends in the tibialis anterior muscle, ramifies on the front a ...
.
A branch from this vessel crosses above the
patellar surface of the
femur, forming an anastomotic arch with the
lateral superior genicular artery, and supplying branches to the
knee-joint.
References
External links
{{Authority control
Arteries of the lower limb