Abstract
The course of the great saphenous vein in a fascial canal derived from the deep fascia of the lower extremity is described. The fascial canal is absent in 15% of the cases. In 85% of the cases, the sheath surrounding the great saphenous vein is continuous from the thigh to the leg and supports the vein from the hydrostatic pressure of the blood, being absent only in the uppermost and the lowermost quarters of the vein in the thigh and the leg, respectively. Thus, up to one quarter of the vein is ensheathed in 30%, up to one half in 45% and up to three quarters in 10% of the cases studied. The absence of this fascial envelope of the vein, in whole or in part, may be involved in the pathogenesis or the complications of the varicosities of the great saphenous vein along with the well-known aggravating factors.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- BASMAJIAN J. V. The distribution of valves in the femoral, external iliac, and common iliac veins and their relationship to varicose veins. Surg Gynecol Obstet. 1952 Nov;95(5):537–542. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- MOOSMAN D. A., HARTWELL S. W., Jr THE SURGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SUBFASCIAL COURSE OF THE LESSER SAPHENOUS VEIN. Surg Gynecol Obstet. 1964 Apr;118:761–766. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mavor G. E., Galloway J. M. Collaterals of the deep venous circulation of the lower limb. Surg Gynecol Obstet. 1967 Sep;125(3):561–571. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shah A. C., Srivastava H. C. Fascial canal for the small saphenous vein. J Anat. 1966 Apr;100(Pt 2):411–413. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Sherman R. S. Varicose Veins: Further Findings based on Anatomic and Surgical Dissections. Ann Surg. 1949 Aug;130(2):218–232. doi: 10.1097/00000658-194908000-00007. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Thomson H. The surgical anatomy of the superficial and perforating veins of the lower limb. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 1979 May;61(3):198–205. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]