Anatomy of the Venous System

Structure of Veins
• Consist of tubular wall surrounding a central channel (lumen)
• Have thinner walls than artery
• Lower pressure and slower rate of flow than arteries
• Carry greater volumes of blood.
• Wall composed of three layers; tunica intima, tunica media (contains
smooth muscle) and tunica adventitia.

Valves
• Folds of endothelium lining veins
• Generally consist of pair of cups
• Direct flow back to heart by allowing flow in one direction.
• Often located just distal to the entry of a major tributary and at
termination of tributary.
• Most numerous in the long veins

Venous Tributaries
• Smallest vessels – venules (drain directly from capillary bed)
• Venous tributaries correspond to arterial branches.
• Have more variation than arterial system and are more numerous, many
tributaries remain unnamed.

Venous Communications
• Numerous routes (or alternate pathways) exist between veins.
• Unless venous occlusion is very extensive or of a major vein, venous
occlusion not usually a problem because of this.
• Usually safe to ligate a vein or tributary because of this (unlike arteries)

Venae Comitantes
• A pair of companion veins wrapped around an artery
• Connserve heat by transferring from warm blood headed out in artery.
• Primary located in limbs
• Arrangement aids venous return.
Venous Flow
• Directed toward the artria of the heart
• Flow due to
○ Blood pressure
○ Contraction of adjacent skeletal muscle
○ Oscillation of intrathoracic pressure with respiration.

Venous Pumps
• Vascular Venous pump: arrangement of comitantes aids flow. Connective
tissue around vascular bundle resists expansion compressing blood.
Directed proximally by presence of valves
• Muscular Venous Pump: Main factor responsible for return of blood from
periphery.
• Thoracic Venous Pump: Coupled double-pump with respiration. Inspiration
causes negative intrathoractic pressure and shortens inferior vena cava
emptying it (superior vena cava lengthens and fills). Opposite happens
during expiration.

Varicose Veins
• Abnormal dilatation of a vein, which may become elongated and tortuous.
• Tend to become more prominent with prolonged elevation of venous
pressure.

Venous Spread
• Tumours and infections can spread in organs by veins that drain them.
• Liver and lungs are common sites of tumour metastases.
• This is due to microbes or cancer cells passing through the venous system
and either into portal venous system or vena cavalsystem to the right
heart.
• Proliferation of microbes through the venous system is known as
septicaemia.
• Prostate cancer commonly spreads via veins to the vertebral bodies.
 Surface Anatomy

Superficial veins of upper Deep Veins of upper

limb.
Limbs
Deep veins of the leg Superficial Veins of the leg.
Location of the internal jugular vein.