Small saphenous vein
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| Vein: Small saphenous vein | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Small saphenous vein and its tributaries. (Small saphenous vein labeled vertically at center.) | |
| Latin | vena saphena parva |
| Gray's | subject #173 670 |
| Source | dorsal venous arch of the foot |
| Drains to | popliteal vein |
| Dorlands / Elsevier | v_05/12851681 |
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The small saphenous vein (also lesser saphenous vein), is a relatively large vein of the superficial posterior leg.
Path
Its origin is where the dorsal vein from the fifth digit (smallest toe) merges with the dorsal venous arch of the foot, which attaches to the great saphenous vein. It is a considered a superficial vein and is subcutaneous (just under the skin).
From its origin, it courses around the lateral aspect of the foot (inferior and posterior to the lateral malleolus) and runs along the posterior aspect of the leg (with the sural nerve), passes between the heads of the gastrocnemius muscle, and drains into the popliteal vein, approximately at or above the level of the knee joint.
See also
Additional images
 Cross-section through middle of leg. |
 Nerves of the dorsum of the foot. |
External links
- Gray's s157 - "The Arteries of the Lower Extremity"
- Answers.com small-saphenous-vein - Stedman's medical dictionary
- Illustration at pdn.cam.ac.uk
- Mnemonic at medicalmnemonics.com 278
Veins of lower limbs | |
|---|---|
| thigh | femoral • profunda femoris • popliteal |
| deep leg | fibular • anterior tibial • posterior tibial |
| superficial leg | small saphenous • great saphenous (extends to thigh) |
| foot | dorsal arch • dorsal metatarsal • dorsal digital • plantar arch • plantar metatarsal • common digital • plantar digital |
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
