Posterior part of knee - Poples
Anatomical Parts
Illustrated anatomical parts with images from e-Anatomy and descriptions of anatomical structures
Anatomical hierarchy
General Anatomy > Parts of human body > Lower limb > Knee > Posterior part of knee
Translations
The popliteal fossa (sometimes referred to colloquially as the knee pit, or poplit) is a shallow depression located at the back of the knee joint. The bones of the popliteal fossa are the femur and the tibia.
The boundaries of the fossa are:
superior and medial: the semimembranosus muscle
superior and lateral: the biceps femoris muscle
inferior and medial: the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle
inferior and lateral: the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle and plantaris muscle
The roof is formed by (from superficial to deep):
The floor is formed by:
Contents
Structures within the popliteal fossa include, (from superficial to deep):
It is of note that the common fibular nerve also begins at the superior angle of the popliteal fossa.
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