Surgical significance of popliteal arterial variants. A unified angiographic classification.

Distal popliteal arterial variations may influence the success of femorodistal popliteal and tibial arterial reconstructions. Two patients whose bypass procedures were initially unsatisfactory because of a poor choice for anastomosis stimulated a review of variations in the distal popliteal artery in 1000 femoral arteriograms. The popliteal arterial anatomy could be assessed in 605 extremities and the tibial arterial anatomy in 495 extremities. Seventy-five variant cases were identified. Normal branching of the popliteal artery was present in 92.2%. Among the 7.8% incidence of variants, the majority (72%) were either high origin of the anterior tibial artery or a trifurcation pattern. Of variant patterns to the foot (5.6%), the most common was that in which the supply to the distal posterior tibial artery arose from the peroneal artery. We propose a unified classification of the popliteal and tibial arterial variations that encompasses both anatomic areas. Variant arterial supply to the foot can be suspected when the infrapopliteal vessels show a hypoplastic or aplastic anterior or posterior tibial artery and compensatory hypertrophy of the peroneal artery. Knowledge of these variants is important to angiographers and vascular surgeons.