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# Genicular veins

The genicular veins are small veins that drain the knee joint, running alongside the [genicular arteries](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/superior-lateral-genicular-artery/).

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## What it is

Small veins around the knee.

## What it does

Drain blood from the joint.

## Key points

- 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

## 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](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/femur/) above the condyles, the inferior veins around the [tibia](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/tibia/) below them (under the collateral ligaments), and the middle vein leaves through the posterior capsule; all end in the [popliteal vein](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/popliteal-vein/)

**In front**
A venous network around the [patella](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/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](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/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).

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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

- [Popliteal vein](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/popliteal-vein/)

Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); [Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb: Popliteal Vein](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541078/); [20.5 Circulatory Pathways](https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/20-5-circulatory-pathways) (OpenStax (Rice University), 2022) · adapted, [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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Source: https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/genicular-veins/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/genicular-veins/