Arterial Tree of Lower Limb Flashcards
3 tissue layers of a generic blood vessel (and what each is composed of)
- Tunica intima (endothelium + internal elastic membrane)
- Tunica media (muscle + external elastic membrane)
- Tunica adventitia
Where does the descending aorta start/end?
- S = end of aortic arch
- E = bifurcation into L+R common iliac arteries
2 parts of descending aorta
- Thoracic aorta
- Abdominal aorta
What does the thoracic aorta supply blood to?
- Muscles of chest wall
- Spinal cord
2 parts of the abdominal aorta
- Suprarenal
- Infrarenal
5 major arteries branching off abdominal aorta
- Coeliac artery
- Superior mesenteric artery
- Renal arteries
- Inferior mesenteric artery
- Arteries supplying spinal cord
Order of arterial tree of lower limb (branches of each main vessel)
- Common iliac
- External iliac (internal iliac)
- Femoral (profunda femoris)
- Popliteal
- Anterior tibial
- Tibio-peroneal trunk (peroneal + posterior tibial)
- Dorsalis pedis
- Medial/lateral plantar arteries
What does the venous circulation have to overcome?
- Lack of pump/driving force
- Inherently low pressure system
- Gravitational pull
What is the musculovenous pump?
Venous drainage system takes advantage of rhythmic pumping action of normal muscles of body to move blood
How do veins passively pump blood through valves?
- Thin walls allow veins to collapse + obliterate lumen
- Squeezes blood through valves
Classes of veins
- Superficial veins
- Deep veins
- Perforating veins
- Accompanying veins:
> Vaso vasorum (accompany veins)
> Venae commitante (accompany arteries)
What causes varicose veins?
- Valves normally function in perforating veins
- If valve is incompetent, blood pools in superficial veins –> varicose veins
Which 2 nerve plexuses supplying lower limb
- Lumbar plexus
- Sacral plexus
Spinal roots of each plexus supplying the lower limb
- Lumbar = L1, L2, L3, half of L4
- Sacral = half of L4, L5, S1, S2, S3, S4
Where does the lumbar plexus form?
Behind psoas major
