The venous system has three major components: the superficial venous system, the deep system and these 2 systems communicate via the perforating veins. The superficial veins lie in the subcataneous tissue between the dermis and the deep fascia, that encase the leg muscles. There are two parts to the superficial system: the thick-walled truncal veins, being the Great Saphenous Vein (GSV, sometimes known as the Long Saphenous Vein) and Short Saphenous Vein (SSV), and thin-walled collecting veins (tributaries). Both types of superficial veins have smooth muscle and some fibrous and elastic tissue in their walls and have multiple valves with more valves based distally that divert blood via the perforating veins into the deep system[3].
