The small saphenous vein
Small saphenous vein · vena saphena parva
A surface vein running up the back of your calf.
What it does
The small saphenous vein starts on the outer side of the foot, passes behind the outer ankle and runs up the middle of the back of the calf to join the deep vein behind the knee.
Surprising fact
It runs alongside the sural nerve, so treatments for varicose veins here have to avoid damaging that nerve.
Why it matters
Like the great saphenous vein, it can become varicose when its valves fail, causing bulging veins on the back of the calf.
Nearby
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.