The; Posterior Limb. 149 



Bloodvessels and Nerves of the Thigh. 



*The femoral artery (a. femoralis) traverses the medial surface of the 

 thigh, beginning at the dorsal side of the inguinal ligament, where it 

 continues the external iliac artery. Immediately distal to the inguinal 

 ligament it gives off the deep artery of the thigh (a. profunda femoris). 

 The latter passes to the dorsal side of the pectineus muscle, and is dis- 

 tributed to the posterior proximal portion of the limb. A second branch 

 the lateral circumflex artery (a. circumflexa femoris lateralis), passes 

 forward from the anterior wall between the insertion of the psoas major 

 and the origin of the vastus medialis. Its first branches are distributed 

 medially to the vastus medialis and rectus femoris. The trunk passes 

 to the lateral side of the head of the second portion of the rectus femoris, 

 and is distributed chiefly to the first head of the rectus femoris and to the 

 tensor fasciae latae. A third branch of the femoral, the superficial 

 epigastric artery (a. epigastrica superficialis), given off medially, and 

 passing to the abdominal wall, has been divided (p. 113). At the 

 beginning of the distal third of the thigh, a small branch, the a. genu 

 suprema, passes over the medial condyle of the femur to 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. 134) 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 corresponding artery. Its tribu- 

 taries comprise the great saphenous, superficial epigastric, lateral circum- 

 flex, and profunda femoris veins. 



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

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

 semimembranosus and afterwards on the posterior margin of the former. 

 At the dorsal border of the ischium, in front of the ischial tuberosity, it 

 receives the lateral caudal and internal pudendal veins. 



***The femoral nerve (n. femoralis) arises from the lumbosacral 

 plexus, chiefly from the fifth lumbar. Its position between the psoas 

 major and iliacus muscles has already been noted (p. 144). 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 greater saphenous nerve (n. saphenus major), passes to the 



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