FEMORAL HERXI^. 



341 



is found to be divided into three compartments, by fibrous septa ; the 

 outer compartment containing the femoral artery, the middle, the 



Fig. 239.— The Groin of the Right 



Side dissected so as to display 

 THE Deep Femoral Akch. 



1, tlie outer part of the femorai 

 arch ; 1', part of the tendon of the 

 external oblique muscle, with external 

 inguinal ring, projecting through 

 which is seen a portion of the sper- 

 Toatic cord cut ; 2, the femoral arch 

 at its insertion into the spine of the 

 pubis, and to the outer side the 

 fibres of Gimbemat's ligament ; 3, 

 the outer part of the femoral sheath ; 

 4, the spermatic cord ; 5, the deep 

 femoral arch — its inner end, where it 

 is fixed to the pubis ; fi, internal 

 oblique muscle ; 7, trausversalis ; 

 below this the transversalis fascia 

 continued into the femoral sheath 

 under the deep femoral arch ; 8, con- 

 joined tendon of the internal oblique 

 and transversalis muscles ; 9, a band 

 of tendinous fibres directed upwards 

 behind the external abdominal ring. 



Fig. 239. 



-.4m>. 



femoral vein, and the inner being- occupied merely by lymphatic vessels, 

 a gland, and some fat. This inner compartment is about half an inch 

 long, and from its being the passage through which the hernia descends, 

 has been called the femoral or crural canal. The upper extremity of 

 the canal presents a rounded apei'ture towards the cavity of the 

 abdomen, usually of sufficient size to admit the point of the forefinger ; 

 its size, however, varies in different persons, and it is larger in the 

 female than in the male. This aperture is called the femoral ring, and 

 is covered when viewed from the inside by peritoneum, and beneath 

 that by the subperitoneal connective tissue, which here forms the crural 

 septum (Cloquet). On tln-ee sides the ring is bounded by A'ery un- 

 yielding structures. In front are the femoral arches, the superficial 

 being formed by Poupart's ligament, and the deep by a strong bundle 

 of fibres, which, springing from the under surface of Poupart's ligament 

 outside the femoral vessels, extends across the forepart of the femoral 

 sheath and widening at its inner end, is fixed to the pectineal line 

 behind Gimbernat's ligament. Behind the ring is the hip-bone covered 

 by the pectineus muscle and the pubic layer of tlie fascia lata ; on the 

 outer side lies the external iliac vein, but covered with its sheath ; and 

 on the inner side are several layers of fibrous structure connected with 

 the pectineal line — namely, Gimbernat's ligament, the conjoined tendon 

 of the two deeper abdominal muscles, and the fascia transversalis, with 

 the deep femoral arch. The last-mentioned structures — those bounding 

 the ring at the inner side — present respectively a more or less sharp 

 margin towards the opening. 



Relations to blood-vessels. — Besides the femoral vein, the posi- 

 tion of which has been already stated, the epigastric artery is closely 

 connected with the ring, lying above its outer side. It not unfre- 

 ([uently happens that an aberrant obturator artery descends into the 



