Morphometric and morphological evaluation of knee joint arteries

The region in question is crucial considering its location in the knee joint and the overall anatomy of the body. The arteries nourishing the knee joint and its surroundings are the genicular arteries. These arteries branch off from the popliteal artery (PA) and include the arteria superior medialis genus (ASMG), arteria superior lateralis genus (ASLG), arteria inferior medialis genus (AIMG), arteria inferior lateralis genus (AILG), arteria media genus (AGM), arteriae surales (AAS), and the arteria descendens genus (ADG) branching from the femoral artery. Numerous surgical interventions are performed in this region. The arterial network in this area is crucial for surgical procedures related to the knee, considering potential surgical complications. Additionally, awareness of arterial variations in this region is important for anatomists, interventional radiologists, and surgeons. Anatomical variations in this region may become even more significant with an increase in procedures such as vascular grafting, surgical repairs, transluminal angioplasty, embolectomy, or knee surgeries. Genicular arterial embolization is a novel treatment method for patients with knee osteoarthritis. Understanding the anatomy of this arterial network is essential for the safe and effective implementation of genicular arterial embolization. Our study aims to contribute to the safe execution of surgical procedures in the knee by categorizing the branching patterns of genicular arteries through measurements related to bone references, thus addressing the gaps in the literature. We intend to clarify the morphometric and morphological structure of the genicular arterial network more precisely.