808 THE VASCULAR SYSTEM. 
lateral false ligament. (7) A pubie branch (ramus pubicus), which ascends on the back 
of the pubes, and anastomoses with its fellow of the opposite side and with the pubic 
branch of the deep epigastric, is given off just before the artery leaves the pelvis. In 
its upward course it may pass either on the outer or inner side of the external iliac vein, 
whilst not unfrequently it runs on the inner side of the crural ring. In the latter case 
t is important in relation to femoral hernia; and this importance is emphasised when, 
as sometimes happens, the obturator artery arises as an enlarged pubic branch of the 
deep epigastric artery instead of from the internal iliac. (e) Terminal.—The ¢nternal 
terminal branch (ramus anterior) runs forwards, and the external (ramus posterior) 
backwards round the margin of the obturator foramen. They lie on the obturator 
membrane, and under cover of the obturator externus. They anastomose together at 
the lower margin of the foramen, and both give off offsets which anastomose with the 
internal circumflex artery, and twigs of supply to the adjacent muscles. The external 
branch also gives an acetabular branch to the hip-joint, which passes upwards, through 
~ Crus penis, 
Crus penis == : 
. } Dorsalartery of penis 
and artery to corpus 
cavernosum 
Bulb of penis 
Superficial perineal 
artery @) 
Compressor urethree 
Artery to bulb 
Superficial perineal 
artery 
- Transverse perineal 
artery 
Transversus perinei 
muscle 
Internal pudic artery 
Internal pudic artery 
_ Inferior heemor- 
Inferior hzemor rhoidal artery 
rhoidal artery 
Levator ani 
Sphincter an rluteus maximus 
Fic. 570.—THE PERINEAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE INTERNAL Pupic ARTERY IN THE MALE. 
the cotyloid notch on the inner side of the transverse ligament, to supply the ligamentum 
teres ee the head of the femur. 
Internal Pudic Artery (a. pudenda interna, Figs. 569 and 570).—The 
we il pudic artery arises from the anterior division of the internal iliac close to 
the origin of the sciatic artery, which slightly exceeds it in size. It runs down- 
wards and backwards in front of the pyviformis muscle and the sacral plexus, from 
both of which it is separated by the pelvic fascia, and on the outer side of the 
rectum to the lower part of the great sciatic foramen. In this course it pierces 
the pelvic fascia, passes between the pyriformis and coccygeus muscles, and leaves 
the pelvis to enter the buttock in company with the corresponding veins, the 
sciatic vessels and nerves, the pudic nerve, and the nerve to the obturator internus. 
In the buttock it lies, under cover of the eluteus maximus, on the spine of the 
ischium, between the pudic nerve and the nerve to the obturator internus, the 
former being internal to it. It next passes through the small mae foramen 
and enters the perineum, in the anterior part. of which it terminates | ry dividing 
into the artery of the corpus eavernosum and the dorsal artery of the penis. 
