A trauma team needs urgent venous access in a shocked patient whose peripheral veins have collapsed. A cutdown of the great saphenous vein is planned at the ankle. The vein is reliably found:

• A Posterior to the lateral malleolus
• B Anterior to the lateral malleolus
• C Posterior to the medial malleolus
• D Anterior to the medial malleolus ✓

Explanation

The great saphenous vein passes consistently anterior to the medial malleolus, making this the classic site for saphenous vein cutdown. Behind the medial malleolus run the tibial nerve and posterior tibial vessels, while the short saphenous vein lies behind the lateral malleolus, so those positions would miss the target structure.

Reference: Gray's Anatomy for Students, 4th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.