• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
bone and spine logo

Bone and Spine

Your Trusted Resource for Orthopedic Health Information

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Policies
  • Show Search
Hide Search
You are here: Home / Basics and Biomechanics / Popliteal Fossa Anatomy and Contents

Popliteal Fossa Anatomy and Contents

Dr Arun Pal Singh ·

Last Updated on October 29, 2023

The popliteal fossa [sometimes called knee pit]  is a diamond-shaped depression lying behind the knee joint, covering the lower part of the femur, and the upper part of the tibia.

Contents hide
1 Boundaries of Popliteal Fossa
2 Contents of Popliteal Fossa
2.1 Popliteal Artery
2.2 Popliteal Vein
2.3 Tibial Nerve
2.4 Common Peroneal Nerve
2.5 Posterior Cutaneous Nerve of Thigh
2.6 Genicular Branch of Obturator Nerve
2.7 Popliteal Lymph Nodes
3 Clinical Significance of Popliteal Fossa
3.1 Blood Pressure
3.2 Popliteal Cyst
3.3 Popliteal Aneurysm
3.4 Popliteal mass

Boundaries of Popliteal Fossa

Popliteal Fossa Anatomy
Popliteal Fossa Anatomy
Image Credit

It becomes easier to understand the landmarks when we visualize looking at the fossa from behind.

The boundaries or borders of the popliteal fossa are as follows of the fossa are as follows.

Superolaterally

Biceps femoris.

Superomedially

Semitendinosus and the semimembranosus, supplemented by the gracilis, the Sartorius and the adductor magnus.

Inferolaterally

Lateral head of the gastrocnemius supplemented by the plantaris.

Inferomedially

Medial head of the gastrocnemius.

Posteriorly, deep popliteal fascia forms the roof of the popliteal fossa. It is further covered by superficial fascia which contains

  • Short saphenous vein
  • Three cutaneous nerves
    • Branches and the terminal part of the posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh
    • Posterior division of the medial cutaneous nerve of the thigh
    • Peroneal (sural) communicating nerve.

Anteriorly, the floor of the popliteal fascia is formed from above downwards by

  • The popliteal surface of the femur
  • The capsule of the knee joint and the oblique popliteal ligament
  • Popliteal fascia covering the popliteus muscle.

Contents of Popliteal Fossa

The main contents of the fossa are:

  • Popliteal artery and its branches.
  • Popliteal vein and is tributaries.
  • Tibial nerve and its branches.
  • Common peroneal nerve and its branches.
  • Posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh.
  • Genicular branch of the obturator nerve.
  • Popliteal lymph nodes.
  • Fat

The popliteal vessels and the tibial nerve cross the fossa vertically and are arranged one over the other. The tibial nerve is most superficial; the popliteal vein lies deep (anterior) to tibial nerve, and the popliteal artery is deepest [anteriormost] of all. The artery is crossed posteriorly by the vein and by the nerve.

  • In the upper part of the fossa, from medial to lateral side: artery, vein, and nerve.
  • In the middle part, from behind forwards: nerve, vein, and artery.
  • In the lower part, from medial to lateral: nerve, vein, and artery.

The common peroneal nerve crosses the fossa obliquely from a superior angle to the lateral angle, along with the medial border of the biceps femoris. It lies in the same superficial plane as the tibial nerve/

Popliteal Artery

The politeal artery is the continuation of the femoral artery. It begins at the opening in the adductor magnus (hiatus magnus) in the thigh at the junction of the middle one third with the lower one-third of the thigh. It runs downwards and slightly laterally, to reach the lower border of the popliteus, where it terminates by dividing into the anterior and posterior tibial arteries.

Relations

The popliteal artery is the deepest structure in the popliteal fossa. It has the following relations.

Anterior (or deep) to the artery, from above downwards

  • Popliteal surface of the femur
  • Back of the knee joint
  • Fascia covering the popliteus muscle.

Posteriorly or superficially

  • Popliteal vein, and further posteriorly tibial nerve [Nerve is separated from the artery by the vein.]a
  • The popliteal vein and the tibial nerve cross the artery from lateral to medial side. At the upper end, vein and tibial nerve are lateral to the artery whereas at the lower end they become medial.
  • The popliteal artery is overlapped by semimembranosus over the lower part at the medial margin. The artery is also covered by skin and fascia.

Laterally

  • Upper part
    • Biceps femoris
    • Tibial nerve
    • Popliteal vein
    • Lateral condyle of the femur.
  • Lower part
    • Plantaris
    • Lateral head of the gastrocnemius.

Medially

  • Upper part
    • Semimembranosus
    • Medial condyle of the femur
  • Lower part
    • Tibial nerve
    • Popliteal vein
    • Medial head of the gastrocnemius.

Branches

  • Muscular branches
  • Cutaneous branches
  • Genicular branches

Genicular branches take part in forming the anastomosis around the knee.

Read more details about popliteal artery and its course

Popliteal Vein

Popliteal vein begins at the lower border of the popliteus by the union of veins accompanying the anterior and posterior tibial arteries. It lies medial to the popliteal artery in the lower part of the fossa, posterior to the artery in the middle and posterolateral in the upper part of the fossa.

The vein continues as the femoral vein at the opening in the adductor magnus. It receives the small saphenous vein, and and the veins corresponding to the branches of the popliteal artery.

Tibial Nerve

The tibial nerve is the larger terminal branch of the sciatic nerve which lies posterior to popliteal vessels.

It extends from the superior angle to the inferior angle of the popliteal fossa, crossing the popliteal vessels from the lateral to the medial side.

It gives muscular branches,  a cutaneous branch, the sural nerve and three genicular branches which arteries the genicular arteries

Common Peroneal Nerve

It is the smaller terminal branch of the sciatic nerve and lies in the same superficial plane as the tibial nerve. It extends from the superior angle of the fossa to the lateral angle, along with the medial border of the biceps femoris.

From there, it continuous downwards and forwards to wind round neck of the fibula and continue further.

The common peroneal nerve can be palpated against the neck of the fibula.

Posterior Cutaneous Nerve of Thigh

It is a content of the upper half of the popliteal fossa. It pierces the deep fascia about the middle of the fossa and supplies the skin up to the middle of the back of the leg.

Genicular Branch of Obturator Nerve

This is the continuation of the posterior division of the obturator nerve. It runs on the posterior surface of the popliteal artery, pierces the oblique popliteal ligament, and supplies the capsule of the knee joint.

Popliteal Lymph Nodes

These lies deep to the deep fascia near the termination of the small saphenous vein.

Clinical Significance of Popliteal Fossa

Blood Pressure

Blood pressure can be measured in the popliteal artery. In coarctation of the aorta, the popliteal pressure is lower than the brachial pressure.

Popliteal Cyst

Popliteal cyst is due to the inflammation and swelling of the semimembranosus bursa. The usually arise in conjunction with arthritis of the knee (rheumatoid or osteoarthritis).

It presents as swelling in the popliteal fossa.

Popliteal Aneurysm

An aneurysm is a dilation of an artery, which is greater than 50% of the normal diameter. As the popliteal fascia is tough and non-flexible, the aneurysm can result in compression of other structures in the fossa, particularly tibial nerve.

Popliteal mass

Other causes of popliteal mass are deep vein thrombosis, adventitial cyst of the popliteal artery and malignancy.

Basics and Biomechanics This article has been medically reviewed by Dr. Arun Pal Singh, MBBS, MS (Orthopedics)

About Dr Arun Pal Singh

Dr. Arun Pal Singh is a practicing orthopedic surgeon with over 20 years of clinical experience in orthopedic surgery, specializing in trauma care, fracture management, and spine disorders.

BoneAndSpine.com is dedicated to providing structured, detailed, and clinically grounded orthopedic knowledge for medical students, healthcare professionals, patients and serious learners.
All the content is well researched, written by medical expert and regularly updated.

Read more....

Primary Sidebar

Know Your Author

Dr. Arun Pal Singh is an orthopedic surgeon with over 20 years of experience in trauma and spine care. He founded Bone & Spine to simplify medical knowledge for patients and professionals alike. Read More…

Explore Articles

Anatomy Anatomy Fractures Fractures Diseases Diseases Spine Disorders Spine Disorders Patient Guides Patient Guides Procedures Procedures
featured image for orthopedics traction

Orthopedic Traction – Principles, Types, and Uses

Traction is a fundamental concept in orthopedics for managing …

featured image of gower sign for segmenatal instability of lumbar spine

Clinical Tests for Lumbar Segmental Instability

Lumbar segmental instability may not always be visible on standard …

mesurement of scoliosis for braces

Braces for Scoliosis- Types, Uses and Results

Braces for scoliosis are recommended to prevent the scoliotic curve …

discogenic back pain

Discogenic Back Pain Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

Discogenic back pain is a common cause of axial low back pain [the …

Elbow arthrodesis using internal fixation

Elbow Arthrodesis- Indications, Methods and Complications

Elbow arthrodesis refers to the surgical fusion of the elbow joint. It …

Popular articles

Epidural streoid injections

Epidural Steroid Injection Procedure

Epidural steroid injection, as the name …

Nerves to scapula

Dorsal Scapular Nerve Entrapment Syndrome

The dorsal scapular nerve entrapment is …

Sciatica Bothersomeness Index

Sciatica Bothersomeness Index

Sciatica bothersomeness index, as the …

Different parts of phalanges of hand marked on x-ray

Phalanges of Hand-Anatomy, Structure, and Function

The phalanges of hand are the small …

Bone and Spine

© 2025 BoneAndSpine.com · All Rights Reserved
The content provided on BoneAndSpine.com is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Read Disclaimer in detail.