280 ANATOMY OF THE RABBIT 



the knee-joint, and at about the point of origin of this vessel a large 

 branch, the great saphenous artery (a. saphena magna), arises 

 from the posterior wall. It passes across the medial surface of the 

 distal end of the adductor longus, and through the tendon of the 

 gracilis, to the medial surface of the leg. The femoral artery passes 

 between the adductores longus and magnus, continuing as the 

 popliteal artery (a. poplitea). 



The hypogastric artery (p. 255) appears in the greater sciatic 

 notch, continuing thence as the sciatic artery (a. ischiadica). The 

 vessel passes backward to the dorsal surface of the superior ramus 

 of the ischium, where it divides into lateral caudal and internal 

 pudendal branches. Its smaller branches are distributed to the 

 glutaei and biceps femoris muscles. 



The femoral vein (v. femoralis) traverses the medial surface of 

 the thigh in company with the femoral artery. It begins at the 

 proximal end of the lower third of the thigh as a continuation of 

 the popliteal vein (v. poplitea), which accompanies the correspond- 

 ing artery. Its tributaries comprise the great saphenous, super- 

 ficial epigastric, and lateral circumflex, and the deep vein of the 

 thigh. 



The sciatic vein (v. ischiadica) traverses the lateral surface of 

 the thigh near its posterior margin, lying between the biceps and 

 the semimembranosus proximally and, more distally, on the pos- 

 terior margin of the former. At the dorsal border of the ischium, 

 in front of the ischial tuberosity, before passing inwards to join the 

 hypogastric vein, it receives the lateral caudal and internal pu- 

 dendal veins. 



The femoral nerve (n. femoralis) arises from the lumbo-sacral 

 plexus, chiefly from the fifth and sixth lumbar nerves (p. 289). Its 

 position between the psoas major and iliacus muscles has already 

 been noted (p. 273). Immediately beyond the inguinal ligament it 

 divides into two portions, one of which is distributed to the muscles 

 of the anterior side of the thigh, while the other, the great saphenous 

 nerve (n. saphenus major), passes to the medial surface of the thigh 

 and leg in company first with the femoral artery and afterwards 

 with the great saphenous artery. 



The sciatic nerve (n. ischiadicus), formed chiefly from the 

 seventh lumbar and first sacral nerves, appears laterally in the 

 greater sciatic notch. It passes backward beneath the piriformis 



