The leg veins are responsible for the return transport of deoxygenated blood from the lower extremities. The deep leg veins carry out the majority of this transport. The superficial leg veins are not vital and only transport a small part of the blood. The leg veins can be affected by various diseases.
Here you will find further information and selected doctors for leg vein diseases.
A large part - 95 % - of the venous return flow to the heart is realized via a network of deep leg veins. This lies in the central axis and follows the leg arteries. It is surrounded by muscles and the so-called aponeurosis - a flat connective tissue structure.
The veins run parallel to the leg arteries as accompanyingveins (venae comitantes). To make them easier to recognize, they have the same names as the arteries, e.g. popliteal artery and popliteal vein. The accompanying veins are usually double.
The large deep leg veins include
The fermoral vein continues the popliteal vein in the thigh. In the small pelvis, it flows into the external iliac vein.
Theanterior tibial vein and posterior tibial vein transport the venous, deoxygenated blood from the lower leg. They unite to form the politea vein. The dorsalis pedis vein (dorsalis pedis vein) carries the blood into the anterior tibial vein and the plantar veins (plantar veins), as well as into the posterior tibial vein.
Illustration of the leg veins © Blausen.com staff | Wikimedia
The deep leg veins transport most of the deoxygenated blood from the legs to the heart. Only five percent of the blood uses a highly variable network of superficial leg veins.
The superficial leg veins run independently of the arteries. They are located outside the muscles in the subcutaneous fatty tissue between the skin wall and the aponeurosis surrounding the muscles. They are not vital.
The superficial leg vein system consists of a few large vessels and venous networks that spread over a wide area. The two main components of the superficial venous network are
There are connections, so-called perforating veins, between the deep and superficial leg veins. The perforating veins pass through muscle fascia and aponeurosis.
The perforating veins are inserted into
are subdivided.
In a healthy venous system, blood always flows from the superficial to the deep leg veins.
Small venules (the finest veins) in the skin and subcutis line the entire sole of the foot. They thus form a complex network, also known as the sole of Lejahr or plantar venous plexus.
The deep network is primarily made up of the internal and external plantar veins. These run between the muscles of the sole of the foot and transport the blood
The veins of an adult human transport around 7,000 liters of blood per day. Most of the blood has to flow uphill to return to the heart. The return flow must also be ensured when sitting or standing.
The leg veins carry the entire column of blood up to the right heart. To prevent the blood from flowing back into the limbs again and again, the vein walls contain venous valves in tiers and at regular intervals. They act like non-return valves and prevent the blood from flowing back in the "wrong direction".
In healthy leg veins, the venous valves close and prevent the blood from flowing back downwards © Henrie | AdobeStock
The venous valves are pocket-like protrusions. Together with the tension of the calf muscles, the so-called muscle pump, they ensure a rhythmic flow of blood to the heart.
The deep leg veins are located together with the muscles in a non-stretchable fascia tube (connective tissue tube). This means that every muscle tension also compresses the veins in the tube and pushes the blood forward. During the relaxation phase, the veins fill up again.
At rest, the heart pump and respiration realize the venous return flow via a positive pressure gradient.
Like all veins in the body, the leg veins serve as a blood reservoir due to their high elasticity.
Microcirculation takes place in the widely ramified network of tiny blood vessels (venules, arterioles and blood capillaries). This is important for the organism because it is not only an important blood reservoir. It also regulates blood pressure and promotes heat exchange and nutrient transport to the cells.
The venules take up the blood from the venous leg of the capillaries and feed it into the veins by merging with the adjacent venules.
More than half of all women and around a third of men will experience vein problems at least once in their lives. The risk of venous disease increases with age.
More than two thirds of people over 70 suffer from varicose veins (varicosis) and their consequences. Varicose veins, which doctors refer to as varicose veins, are nodular dilated veins in the superficial system.
In primary varicose vein disease (primary varicosis), the venous valves no longer close completely due to a weakness in the connective tissue. This leads to a backflow of blood. This results in an increase in pressure in the leg veins, which widen visibly and palpably under the skin. It can also lead to local inflammation of the superficial vein (leg vein inflammation or phlebitis).
Varicose veins can also be the result of another vascular disease, such as leg vein thrombosis (secondary varicosis). In the case of leg vein thrombosis, a blood clot blocks a deeper leg vein. This leads to an obstruction of the drainage or even acute venous occlusion. The affected leg swells, becomes warm and turns bluish in color.
Those affected also suffer from pain in the leg. Particularly noticeable are pressure pain in the calf and a feeling of sore muscles.
Varicose veins are therefore always a possible indicator of leg vein thrombosis.
Leg vein thrombosis therapy is aimed at
for example.
