Lower limb: popliteal artery: practice question

A Anatomy question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anatomy · Lower limb: popliteal artery

Sample item

A young man has a traumatic dislocation of the knee in a motorcycle crash. After reduction his foot is cool and the distal pulses are absent. Which anatomical feature makes the popliteal artery particularly susceptible?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. It is tethered proximally at the adductor hiatus and distally by the fibrous arch of soleus

The popliteal artery is the deepest structure in the fossa, lying on the popliteal surface of the femur, the knee capsule and popliteus. It is fixed at its upper end at the adductor hiatus and at its lower end where it passes under the fibrous arch of soleus, so there is little slack and displacement of the tibia tears or stretches the intima. Vascular assessment is mandatory after knee dislocation.

Option by option

  • A. It is tethered proximally at the adductor hiatus and distally by the fibrous arch of soleus (correct)

    Fixation at both ends leaves no slack, so the artery is stretched or torn when the joint is displaced.

  • B. It is formed at the knee by union of the anterior and posterior tibial arteries

    It divides into the anterior and posterior tibial arteries and is not formed by their union.

  • C. It is the most superficial structure in the popliteal fossa

    The popliteal artery is the deepest structure, the tibial nerve being the most superficial.

  • D. It gives no genicular branches in the fossa

    It gives five genicular branches that supply the knee anastomosis.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Anatomy questions

Questions about this Anatomy question

What is the answer to this Anatomy question?

The best answer is A, It is tethered proximally at the adductor hiatus and distally by the fibrous arch of soleus. The popliteal artery is the deepest structure in the fossa, lying on the popliteal surface of the femur, the knee capsule and popliteus.

Why is "It is formed at the knee by union of the anterior and posterior tibia…" not the answer?

It divides into the anterior and posterior tibial arteries and is not formed by their union.

Why is "It is the most superficial structure in the popliteal fossa" not the answer?

The popliteal artery is the deepest structure, the tibial nerve being the most superficial.

Why is "It gives no genicular branches in the fossa" not the answer?

It gives five genicular branches that supply the knee anastomosis.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Lower limb: popliteal artery in Anatomy. It is fixed at its upper end at the adductor hiatus and at its lower end where it passes under the fibrous arch of soleus, so there is little slack and displacement of the tibia tears or stretches the intima. Vascular assessment is mandatory after knee dislocation.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Lower limb: popliteal artery?

Learn every nerve by its route, its muscles and what a lesion looks like at the bedside. That one habit answers a large share of questions. Then use the flashcards and the other Anatomy questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.