Descending genicular artery
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Jeremy Jones had no recorded disclosures.
View Jeremy Jones's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Ammar Haouimi had no recorded disclosures.
View Ammar Haouimi's current disclosures- Descending genicular artery (DGA)
- Descending geniculate artery
The descending genicular artery (DGA) is one of the arteries of the knee joint and participates in the vascularization of the superomedial structures of the knee including the patella network.
On this page:
Summary
- location: knee
- origin: distal femoral artery
- branches: saphenous, muscular and osteoarticular branches
- supply: patellar network
Gross anatomy
The descending genicular artery originates from the distal femoral artery approximately 12-17 cm above the knee joint line in the region of the adductor hiatus. It descends medially to the distal femoral diaphysis and the medial femoral condyle. Its size is often inversely related to the superior medial genicular artery. It shows a quite variable branching pattern usually splits into two or three major branches 1, 2.
Branches
The descending genicular artery subdivides into three branches and cutaneous perforating branches 1:
- saphenous branch
- muscular branch
- osteoarticular branch
The muscular and osteoarticular branches share often a common trunk and are also described as a musculoarticular branch 1,2.
It anastomoses with the following arteries 1:
Supply
The superior lateral genicular artery participates in the supply of the following structures 1,2:
- sartorius muscle
- gracilis muscle
- rectus femoris muscle
- vastus medialis muscle
- vastus intermedius muscle
- adductor magnus muscle
- patella and distal quadriceps tendon
- medial femoral condyle
ADVERTISEMENT: Supporters see fewer/no ads
Radiographic features
Angiography
The descending genicular artery can be seen originating from the distal femoral artery displaying an “inverted Y” appearance 2.
History and etymology
The descending genicular artery was described by Henry Gray in his atlas Gray’s anatomy 5.
Clinical importance
The superior medial genicular artery can be injured within the scope of a traumatic injury or distal femoral surgery such as total knee arthroplasty or fracture surgery 6,7.
Related pathology
References
- 1. Hirtler L, Lübbers A, Rath C. Vascular Coverage of the Anterior Knee Region - an Anatomical Study. J Anat. 2019;235(2):289-298. doi:10.1111/joa.13004
- 2. Bagla S, Piechowiak R, Sajan A, Orlando J, Hipolito Canario A, Isaacson A. Angiographic Analysis of the Anatomical Variants in Genicular Artery Embolization. Journal of Clinical Interventional Radiology ISVIR. 2021. doi:10.1055/s-0041-1729464
- 3. García-Pumarino R & Franco J. Anatomical Variability of Descending Genicular Artery. Ann Plast Surg. 2014;73(5):607-11. doi:10.1097/SAP.0b013e318276d964
- 4. Frank H. Netter. Atlas of Human Anatomy. (2018-02-27) ISBN: 9780323393225
- 5. Sabalbal M, Johnson M, McAlister V. Absence of the Genicular Arterial Anastomosis as Generally Depicted in Textbooks. annals. 2013;95(6):405-409. doi:10.1308/003588413x13629960046831
- 6. Giurazza F, Corvino F, Silvestre M, Corvino A, Niola R. The Role of Interventional Radiology in the Treatment of Lower Limb Vascular Injuries After Orthopaedic Surgery. Pol J Radiol. 2019;84:e504-e510. doi:10.5114/pjr.2019.91204
- 7. Silvestri A, Regis D, Trivellin G et al. Descending Genicular Artery Injury Following Transient Lateral Patellar Dislocation. J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2018;9(Suppl 2):S39-S43. doi:10.1016/j.jcot.2018.02.013
Incoming Links
Related articles: Anatomy: Lower limb
- skeleton of the lower limb
- joints of the lower limb
-
hip joint
- ligaments
- muscles
- additional structures
- hip joint capsule
- zona orbicularis
- iliotibial band
-
hip bursae
- anterior
- iliopsoas bursa (iliopectineal bursa)
- lateral
- subgluteal bursae
- greater trochanteric bursa (subgluteus maximus bursa)
- subgluteus medius bursa
- subgluteus minimus bursa
- gluteofemoral bursa
- subgluteal bursae
- postero-inferior
- anterior
- ossification centers
-
knee joint
- ligaments
- anterior cruciate ligament
- posterior cruciate ligament
- medial collateral ligament
- lateral collateral ligament
- meniscofemoral ligament (mnemonic)
-
posterolateral ligamentous complex
- arcuate ligament
- patellar tendon and quadriceps tendon
- anterolateral ligament
- posterior oblique ligament
- oblique popliteal ligament
- medial patellofemoral ligament
- additional structures
- extensor mechanism of the knee
- groove for the popliteus tendon
- knee bursae
- anterior bursae
- medial bursae
- lateral bursae
- posterior bursae
- knee capsule
- lateral patellar retinaculum
- medial patellar retinaculum
- menisci
- pes anserinus (mnemonic)
- ossification centers
- ligaments
- tibiofibular joints
-
ankle joint
- regional anatomy
- medial ankle
- lateral ankle
- anterior ankle
- ligaments
- medial collateral (deltoid) ligament
- lateral collateral ligament
- additional structures
- ankle bursae
- ossification centers of the ankle
- variants
- regional anatomy
- foot joints
- subtalar joint
- mid-tarsal (Chopart) joint
-
tarsometatarsal (Lisfranc) joint
- ligaments
- intermetatarsal joint
- metatarsophalangeal joint
- interphalangeal joint
- ossification centers
-
hip joint
- spaces of the lower limb
-
muscles of the lower limb
- muscles of the pelvic group
- muscles of the thigh
- muscles of the leg
- anterior compartment of the leg
- posterior compartments of the leg
- lateral compartment of the leg
- muscles of the foot
- dorsal muscles
- plantar muscles
- 1st layer
- 2nd layer
- 3rd layer
- 4th layer
- accessory muscles of the lower limb
- accessory gluteal muscles
-
accessory muscles of the ankle
- accessory peroneal muscles
- accessory flexor digitorum longus muscle
- accessory soleus muscle
- peroneocalcaneus internus muscle
- tibiocalcaneus internus muscle
- extensor hallucis capsularis tendon
- anterior fibulocalcaneus muscle
- accessory extensor digiti secundus muscle
- tibioastragalus anticus of Gruber muscle
- vascular supply of the lower limb
- arterial supply of the lower limb
- venous drainage of the lower limb
- innervation of the lower limb
- lymphatic system of the lower limb
- lymphatic pathways
- anteromedial group
- anterolateral group
- posteromedial group
- posterolateral group
- lower limb lymph nodes
- lymphatic pathways