INTRODUCTION

Blunt popliteal artery injuries are associated with significant morbidity. They are rare, and compared to penetrating injuries, more energy is absorbed resulting in damage to integument, muscle and skeletal structures (1). Prompt diagnosis is critical and can be made in the majority of patients clinically. If there is doubt, angiography should be obtained. Even with adequate and timely revascularization, functional outcome is less than desirable, largely because of the associated soft tissue injuries. There are several pitfalls in management of this injury and the opportunity is taken to review an acceptable management path for this challenging clinical problem.