A Study on the Great Saphenous Vein including it’s Surgical and Radiological implications.

Great saphenous vein, the vessel of surgical significance, has been studied in detail by dissection and radiological methods. The formation, length and diameter of Great saphenous vein, its level of termination, drainage pattern, its relation with adjacent important structures in detail have been observed and co-related with the findings of already existing studies. The following conclusions are derived from these parameters. In most of the cases the formation of Great saphenous vein was by the union of medial end of dorsal venous arch with medial marginal vein. The mean total length of the Great saphenous vein is 69.08 cm. The average diameter of Great saphenous vein in thigh is 0.29 cm and that in the leg is 0.38 cm. The sapheno-femoral junction on an average was 2.9 cm from the midpoint of inguinal ligament. In most cases, the sapheno-femoral junction was located 3 to 5 cm from pubic tubercle. The average distance from anterior superior iliac spine to saphenofemoral junction is 10.22 cm. High proportion of cases display the drainage pattern with superficial circumflex iliac vein, superficial epigastric vein and lateral accessory saphenous vein forming a common trunk and terminating at fossa ovalis. In 1/3 of instances, the superficial external pudendal vein drains directly into Great saphenous vein. External pudendal artery passed anterior to termination of Great saphenous vein in significant proportion of cases. Most commonly the Great saphenous vein and the saphenous nerve came close few cm below the knee, after which they were in separable. Average no of perforating veins in the thigh is 1.14. Average no of valves in the Great saphenous vein is 8.2. In 6 foetal specimens, the sapheno femoral junction is found to be on an average 2.78 cm from the anterior superior iliac spine, 0.96 cm from pubic tubercle, 0.68 cm from mid point of inguinal ligament Based on this study, I hereby conclude that Great saphenous vein has complex variations in length, drainage pattern and its relationship with external pudendal artery and saphenous nerve. Surgery for varicose veins and saphenous vein grafting require a thorough knowledge of variations in Great saphenous vein. Hence this study will be of use to surgeons.