Cardiovascular system · Lower limb
Genicular veins !
The genicular veins are small veins that drain the knee joint, running alongside the genicular arteries.
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What it is
Small veins around the knee.
What it does
Drain blood from the joint.
Key facts
- Drains
- Knee joint, capsule and surrounding structures; accompany genicular arteries
- Into
- Popliteal vein
Relations
- Course
- The superior veins wind back around the femur above the condyles, the inferior veins around the tibia below them (under the collateral ligaments), and the middle vein leaves through the posterior capsule; all end in the popliteal vein
- In front
- A venous network around the patella that also links with the superficial veins at the front of the knee
How to find it
Found beside their arteries: the superior lateral pair near the upper outer edge of the patella in a lateral release, and the inferior lateral pair along the outer rim of the lateral meniscus, at risk in lateral meniscal surgery.
On imaging
Too small for routine duplex reports of the popliteal vein; on contrast CT or MRI in the venous phase they appear as small paired vessels beside each genicular artery.
Clinical notes
- In lateral retinacular release the superior lateral genicular vessels are looked for and sealed to limit bleeding
- Blood in the knee after surgery or injury (hemarthrosis) can come from these vessels as well as from bone and synovium
- In ultrasound-guided genicular nerve blocks and radiofrequency ablation, the superior lateral, superior medial and inferior medial genicular vessels, seen with Doppler against the bone, mark where the target nerves run
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Into which vein do the genicular veins drain?
The popliteal vein.
How do the courses of the genicular veins relate to the genicular arteries?
Each genicular artery has one or two companion veins, so the courses match: two above the femoral condyles, one through the back of the capsule, two below the tibial condyles.
Why are the superior lateral genicular vessels sought in a lateral retinacular release?
They are sealed to limit bleeding into the knee (hemarthrosis).
Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.
Its names
- Official Latin (TA2)
- venae geniculares TA2 5074
- Official Spanish (DeCS)
- Venas geniculares
- English (TA2)
- Genicular veins
- Also called
- venae genus
Related
Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb: Popliteal Vein; 20.5 Circulatory Pathways (OpenStax (Rice University), 2022) · adapted, CC BY 4.0.
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.
