Popliteal fossa and leg

• Popliteal region


  • Popliteal fossa - fat-filled hollow transmitting neurovascular structures
• Conditions related to popliteal fossa and leg

  • Popliteal abscess and tumor
  • Popliteal pulse
  • Popliteal aneurysm and hemorrhage
  • Injury to tibial nerve
  • Compartmental infections in the leg
  • Tibialis anterior strain (shin splints)
  • Injury to common fibular nerve and foot drop
  • Deep fibular nerve entrapment
  • Superficial fibular nerve entrapment
  • Calcaneal tendinitis
  • Ruptured calcaneal tendon
  • Calcaneal tendon reflex
  • Absence of plantarflexion
  • Gastrocnemius strain
  • Calcaneal bursitis
  • Accessory soleus
  • Posterior tibial pulse
• When the leg extends, the fat within the popliteal fossa is relatively compressed as the popliteal fascia becomes taut, and the semimembranosus muscle moves laterally, providing further protection to the contents of the fossa
• Structures traversing popliteal fossa

  1. Nerves encountered first

  2. Veins encountered next

  3. Arteries lie deepest
• Deep popliteal lymph nodes


  Surround vessels, receive lymph from knee joint and deep leg veins
• Popliteal pulse may be difficult to feel due to deep location of popliteal artery
• Popliteal cyst


  • An abnormal fluid-filled sac of synovial membrane in the region of the popliteal fossa
  • Almost always a complication of chronic knee joint effusion