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 25-year-old footballer has a posterior knee dislocation. His foot is pale and cool with absent pedal pulses. Which anatomical feature makes the popliteal artery particularly vulnerable in this injury?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. It is tethered at the adductor hiatus above and the tendinous arch of soleus below

The popliteal artery is fixed proximally where it passes through the adductor hiatus and distally where it passes under the tendinous arch of soleus. It cannot move with the displaced bones, so it is stretched or torn, and the genicular anastomosis is usually inadequate to maintain the leg. Vascular assessment, often with CT angiography, is mandatory and limb ischaemia requires urgent repair.

Option by option

  • A. It has no genicular branches, so the knee has no collateral supply

    The artery gives several genicular branches that form an anastomosis, though it is often inadequate.

  • B. It runs in a rigid osteofibrous tunnel along the whole fossa

    The fossa is a diamond-shaped space with fat and not a rigid tunnel along its length.

  • C. It is tethered at the adductor hiatus above and the tendinous arch of soleus below (correct)

    Correct. Proximal and distal fixation prevents the artery from accommodating bony displacement.

  • D. It is the most superficial structure in the popliteal fossa beneath the deep fascia

    The artery is the deepest structure in the fossa, and the tibial nerve is the most superficial.

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.

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Questions about this Anatomy question

What is the answer to this Anatomy question?

The best answer is C, It is tethered at the adductor hiatus above and the tendinous arch of soleus below. The popliteal artery is fixed proximally where it passes through the adductor hiatus and distally where it passes under the tendinous arch of soleus.

Why is "It has no genicular branches, so the knee has no collateral supply" not the answer?

The artery gives several genicular branches that form an anastomosis, though it is often inadequate.

Why is "It runs in a rigid osteofibrous tunnel along the whole fossa" not the answer?

The fossa is a diamond-shaped space with fat and not a rigid tunnel along its length.

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

The artery is the deepest structure in the fossa, and the tibial nerve is the most superficial.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Lower limb: popliteal artery in Anatomy. It cannot move with the displaced bones, so it is stretched or torn, and the genicular anastomosis is usually inadequate to maintain the leg. Vascular assessment, often with CT angiography, is mandatory and limb ischaemia requires urgent repair.

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.