popliteal

popliteal

English

WOTD – 10 April 2012

Etymology

From Late Latin popliteus (from Latin poples (“ham, knee”)) +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pɒˈplɪtɪ.əl/, /ˌpɒplɪˈtiːəl/

  • Audio (UK)

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• Rhymes: -iːəl

Adjective

popliteal (not comparable)

1. (anatomy) Of or pertaining to the popliteus (the area behind the knee). [From 18th c.]
   • 1839, John Steggall, Malcolm William Hilles, A Manual for the College of Surgeons in London, Dublin, and Edinburgh‎, page 433:

     On removing a quantity of fat which separates the popliteal nerve from the vein and artery, these will be exposed lying in direct contact, the vein being posterior or superficial to the artery and a little to its outer side at the upper part of the space.

   • 2006, Gregory J. Landry, Gerald B. Zelenock, editor, Mastery of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery‎, 53: Treatment of Nonatherosclerotic Causes of Infrainguinal Arterial Occlusive Disease, page 443:

     The popliteal entrapment syndrome is a developmental disorder resulting in an anomalous relationship between the popliteal artery and muscle structures in the popliteal fossa.

   • 2009, Carol E. H. Scott-Conner, Operative Anatomy, page 758:

     The popliteal artery is exposed through an incision that parallels the anterior border of the sartorius muscle and passes just posterior to the medial condyle.

Derived terms

• subpopliteal

Translations

area behind the knee

Dutch: wade (nl) f Finnish: polvitaive- (fi), polvitaipeen (fi) French: poplité (fr) Greek: ιγνυακός (el) (ignyakós) Italian: popliteo (it) Japanese: 膝窩 (shikka) Russian: подколенный (ru) m (podkolennyj) Spanish: poplíteo Swedish: knävecks- Tagalog: alakalakanin Tamil: குழிச்சிரை (kuḻiccirai)

See also

• ham

Anagrams

• papillote