External Iliac Vein

The deep veins of the lower leg, such as the "anterior tibial" and "posterior tibial veins," have names that correspond with the artery which they accompany. At the level of the knee, these vessels form a single trunk, the "poplitear vein." This vein continues upward through the thigh as the "femoral vein," which becomes the "external iliac vein" just behind the inguinal ligament in the lowest regions of the abdomen.