458 AETEFJES OF THE LOWER LIMB. 



and the long adductor muscle are interposed between it and the femoral 

 trunk. 



The named branches of the deep femoral artery are tlie external and 

 the internal circumflex, and the perforating arteries. 



1. The external cirnimflex artery, a branch of considerable size, arises 

 from the outer side of tbe profunda near its origin, and passing out- 

 wards for a short distance beneath the sartorius and rectus muscles, and 

 through the divisions of the anterior crural nerve, divides into three sets 

 of branches. 



{a) Tmmrcrse branches pass outwards over the crureus muscle, pierce the 

 vastus externus. so as to g-et between it and the femur, just below the great tro- 

 chanter, and reach the back part of the thigh, where they anastomose with the 

 internal circumflex and the perforating branches of the deep femoral, and with 

 the gluteal and sciatic branches of the internal iliac. 



{h) Asccnduui branches, directed upwards beneath the sartorius and rectus, 

 and afterwards under the tensor muscle of the fascia lata, communicate with the 

 terminal branches of the gluteal, and with some of the external descending 

 branches of the circumflex iliac artery. 



{c) Bcscciifliiiff branches incline outwards and downwards upon the extensor 

 muscles of the knee, covered by the rectus muscle. They are usually three or 

 four in number, some being of considerable size ; most of them are disti-ibuted to 

 the muscles on the fore-i^art of the thigh, but one or two can be traced beneath 

 the vastus externus muscle as far as the knee, where they anastomose with the 

 arterial branches suri'ounding that joint. 



2. The wferncd circumflex artery, smaller than the external circum- 

 flex, arises close to that branch from the inner and hinder part of the 

 deep femoral artery, and is directed backwards between the pectineus 

 and the psoas muscle to the inner side of the femur. On reaching the 

 tendon of the external obturator, along which the vessel passes to the 

 back of the thigh, it divides into two principal branches. 



(i-/) The a/tcniding branch is distributed partly to the adductor brevis and 

 gracilis, and partly to the external obturator muscle, near which it anastomoses 

 with the obturator artery. 



(])) The tt'dtusrcr-fc branch passes backwards above the small trochanter, and 

 appears on the back of the limb, between the quadratus femoris and great ad- 

 ductor muscles, where it supplies the hamstring muscles, and anastomoses witli 

 the sciatic artery and with the superior perforating Ijranches of the deep femoral 

 artery. 



(r) An (irticular vessel, arising from the transverse branch opposite the hip- 

 joint, enters the joint through the notch in the acetabulam. beneath the trans- 

 verse ligament, and supplies the adipose tissue and the sjTiovial membrane in that 

 articulation. Some offsets are guided to the head of the femur by the round 

 ligament. In some instances the articular branch is derived from the obturator 

 artery ; and sometimes the joint receives a branch from both sources. 



3. The iierforaVmg arteries (perforantes) are branches which reach the 

 back of the thigh by perforating the adductor brevis and adductor 

 magnus muscles ; they are four in number, including the terminal 

 branch of the parent vessel. 



(ff) The frxt perforating artery passes backwards below the pectineus muscle, 

 through the fibres of the adductor brevis and magnus, and is distributed to 

 both these adductor muscles, to the biceps and great gluteal muscle, and commu- 

 nicates with the sciatic and internal circumflex arteries. 



(Jj) The itecond p^-rforui'nuj artery, considerably larger than the first, passes 

 through the adductor brevis and magnus ; after which it divides into ascending 



