title: Anatomic study of infrapopliteal vessels.
abstract: The purpose of this project is to study and analyse the anatomical variations of  the infrapopliteal vessels concerning their branching pattern. A reliable sample  of one hundred formalin-fixed adult cadavers was dissected by the Anatomical  Laboratory of Athens University. The variations can be classified in the following  way: the normal branching of the popliteal artery was present in 90%. The  remainder revealed variant branching patterns: hypoplastic or aplastic posterior  tibial artery and the pedis arteries arising from the peroneal (3%); hypoplastic  or aplastic anterior tibial artery (1.5%); and the dorsalis pedis formed by two  equal branches, arising from the peroneal and the anterior tibial artery (2%).  The variations were more frequent in females and in short-height individuals.  Knowledge of these variations is rather important for any invasive technic concerning  lower extremities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lappas
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Stavropoulos
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Noussios
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sakellariou
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Skandalakis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply*; D016909:Tibial Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology*