Digital-image analysis of the angiographic patterns of the popliteal artery in patients with aorto-iliac occlusive disease (Leriche syndrome)

Angiographic patterns of the popliteal artery are of great clinical relevance in vascular surgery below the knee. Using radiological, digital and statistical methods the variants and luminal diameters of the popliteal artery branching in 46 men and 30 women with Lerich syndrome were studied. Statistical analysis did not reveal any gender or syntopic dimorphisms (P⩾0.05). In subtype IA (87.5%) the anterior tibial artery and the short type of posterior tibioperoneal trunk were found. In subtype IB (2.63%) an arterial trifurcation was observed. In subtype IC (1.97%) the posterior tibial artery and the short type of anterior tibioperoneal trunk were seen. In two subtypes: IIA-1 (1.32%) and IIA-2 (0.66%) the anterior tibial artery and the long type of posterior tibioperoneal trunk were found. In subtype II B (5.92%) the long type of anterior tibioperoneal trunk and the posterior tibial artery were observed. The symmetry of the left and right popliteal patterns was seen in two most frequent subtypes: I A (r1=0.80) and II B (r2=0.83). Either the anterior or posterior tibial artery had a smaller diameter than the coexisting tibioperoneal trunk (P<0.01). In a trifurcation the luminal diameters formed a decreasing sequence of the following arteries: anterior tibial, posterior tibial and peroneal. The angiometric analysis of luminal diameters showed the predominant vessel in each subtype: anterior tibioperoneal trunk (IC, IIB), posterior tibioperoneal trunk (IA, IIA-1, IIA-2) and anterior tibial artery (IB).