The inferior medial genicular artery (IMGA) is the medial counterpart of the inferior lateral genicular artery and supplies the inferomedial structures of the knee including the medial tibial condyle and participates in the supply of the patella.
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Summary
- location: knee
- origin: popliteal artery
- branches: cutaneous perforating branches
- supply: inferomedial aspect of the knee
Gross anatomy
The inferior medial genicular artery originates from the popliteal artery and initially runs medially and downwards adjacent to the upper edge of the popliteus muscle beneath the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle. It then courses anteriorly subjacent to the medial collateral ligament 1,2 and eventually ascends anterior to the medial edge of the tibial tuberosity in the Hoffa fat pad, where it anastomoses with the inferior medial genicular artery 1,2.
Branches
It provides cutaneous perforating branches supplying the skin at the lateral border of the sartorius muscle and medial border of the patellar tendon.
It anastomoses with the following arteries:
- posterior recurrent tibial artery
- superior medial genicular artery
- inferior lateral genicular artery
Supply
The inferior medial genicular artery participates in the supply of the following structures:
- popliteus muscle
- medial tibial condyle
- patella and patellar tendon
- Hoffa fat pad
- anterior cruciate ligament
Clinical importance
Its course makes it susceptible to iatrogenic injury such as placement of a tibial bone tunnel during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction 4.
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