Superior medial genicular artery
Arteria superior medialis genus
A popliteal branch that winds round the inner side of the femur just above the knee to supply the joint.
At a glance
- English
- Superior medial genicular artery
- Latin (TA2)
- Arteria superior medialis genus
- System
- Artery
- Region
- Lower limb
- Side
- Paired, left and right
About the superior medial genicular artery
The superior medial genicular artery is one of the paired upper genicular branches of the popliteal artery. It leaves its parent in the popliteal fossa at the level of the femoral condyles and curves forwards round the inner side of the lower femur to reach the front of the knee.
On its way it passes in front of semimembranosus and semitendinosus, staying above the medial head of gastrocnemius, and then slips beneath the tendon of adductor magnus close to the adductor tubercle. This keeps it pressed against the bone just above the medial femoral condyle.
The vessel then divides in two. One branch goes into vastus medialis and joins the descending genicular artery (the highest genicular branch of the femoral artery) and the inferior medial genicular artery. The other branch stays against the femur, supplying the bone and the knee joint, and crosses the front of the femur above the patella to join the superior lateral genicular artery. Both contribute to the genicular anastomosis, the ring of vessels round the knee that keeps blood reaching the leg if the popliteal artery is blocked.
The artery is often small, and when it is, the descending genicular artery is usually larger to make up for it. It can be damaged in operations on the medial side of the lower femur, in the medial approach to the knee and in fractures of the distal femur, and it is one of the vessels targeted in genicular artery embolisation for painful arthritis of the knee.
Course and supply
- Arises from
- Arises from the popliteal artery in the popliteal fossa, at the level of the femoral condyles.
- Ends in
- Divides into a muscular branch in vastus medialis and a deep branch on the femur, joining the descending, inferior medial and superior lateral genicular arteries.
- Supplies
- Supplies vastus medialis, the lower end of the femur and the medial and anterior parts of the knee joint.
Anthromica
See the superior medial genicular artery where it really sits, with every layer of the body around it.
- Every layer, one body. Peel from muscle to bone, nerve, vessel and organ, and turn it any way.
- English and Latin. Every structure named the way your exam names it.
- Quiz until it sticks. Short drills on the structures you keep missing.
Free to start. No card.
