title: Variations in the popliteal artery branching in 342 patients studied with peripheral CT angiography using 64-MDCT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to assess the utility of peripheral computed tomography angiography (CTA) using 64-multidetector computed tomography (64-MDCT) in the detection of variations in branching patterns of the popliteal artery.
  
  
  METHODS
  The peripheral CTAs of 742 limbs in 342 patients who underwent peripheral CTA using 64-MDCT of the lower extremity due to various reasons were retrospectively reviewed. The anatomical variations in popliteal artery branching were assessed in 636 limbs from the same cohort of patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five hundred fifty-three (87 %) limbs had the usual branching pattern (type IA). Variations in the branching pattern of the popliteal artery were seen in 83 (13 %) limbs. The most common anatomical variation was trifurcation of the popliteal artery in 27 (4.2 %) limbs, with anterior tibial, posterior tibial, and peroneal arteries arising together with no true tibioperoneal trunk (type IB).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of variations in the anatomy of the popliteal artery could be of radiological and surgical importance in orthopedic interventions and various vascular surgery procedures. Peripheral CTA using MDCT is a suitable imaging modality for noninvasive evaluation of lower extremity arteries, and it may become the preferred method for evaluating variations in popliteal artery branching.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Eskisehir, Turkey, drcalisir@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Cuneyt
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calisir
authors.forename: Sevtap
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Simsek
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tepe
mesh_terms: D000792:Angiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*