814 THE VASCULAR SYSTEM. 
« 
THE FEMORAL ARTERY. 
The femoral artery (a. femoralis, Figs. 575 and 574) continues the external iliac 
into the thigh. It commences at the lower border of Poupart’s ligament, and, 
descending through the upper two-thirds of the thigh, terminates at the opening in 
the adductor magnus. 
Course.—Its. general direction is Indicated by a line drawn from the point of 
origin midway between the anterior superior spine of the ilium and the symphysis 
pubis to the adductor tubercle, the thigh being flexed and rotated outwards. 
In its upper half the feme ral artery lies in Se: arpa’s triangle, aud is comparatively 
superficial; at the apex of the triangle it passes beneath the Sartorius, enters 
Hunter’s canal, and is thus more deeply placed. 
At its entry into Scarpa’s triangle both the artery and its vein are enclosed, for 
a distance of one and a quarter inches, in a funnel-shaped fascial sheath formed of 
the fascia transversalis in front and the iliac fascia behind. This is called the 
femoral sheath; it is divided by septa, running from front to back, into three 
compartments, the outer of which is occupied by the femoral artery and genito- 
crural nerve. The middle contains the femoral vein, and the internal compartment 
constitutes the crural canal. 
Relations.—In Scarpa’s triangle the femoral artery is covered by skin and fascia, 
by superficial inguinal lymphatic glands and small superficial vessels. ‘The anterior 
part of the femoral sheath and the cribriform fascia are in front of the upper part of the 
artery, and the fascia lata is in front of the lower part. Near the apex of the triangle 
the artery is crossed by the internal cutaneous nerve, and not infrequently by a tributary 
of the internal saphenous vein. Behind, it is in relation, from above downwards, with the 
posterior part of the femoral sheath, the pubic portion of the fascia lata and the psoas, 
the pectineus, and the upper part of the adductor longus muscles. The nerve to the 
pectineus passes between the artery and the psoas; the femoral vein and the profunda 
artery and vein intervene between it and the pectineus, and the femoral vein also separates 
it from the adductor longus. 
The femoral vein which lies behind the artery in the lower part of Scarpa’s triangle 
passes to its inner side above, but is separated from the artery by the outer septum of 
the femoral sheath. On the outer side of the artery is the anterior crural nerve above ; 
lower down the internal saphenous nerve and the nerve to the vastus internus are 
continued on the outer side. The crural branch of the genito-crural nerve is in front and 
to the outer side above, and runs for a short distance in the femoral sheath. 
In Hunter's canal the artery has behind it the adductor longus and the adductor 
magnus, whilst in front and to the outer side is the vastus internus. The femoral vein is 
also behind the artery, but lies to its outer side below and to its inner side above. 
Superficial to the artery is the fascial roof of the canal, upon which is the sub-sartorial 
plexus of nerves and the sartorius muscle. The internal or long saphenous nerve enters 
Hunter’s canal with the artery, and runs first on its outer side, then in front, and lastly 
on its inner side. 
Branches.—The femoral artery gives off the following branches :— 
(1) Superficial branches. 
(a) The superficial external pudic. 
(6) The superficial epigastric. 
(c) The superficial circumflex iliac. 
2) Muscular. 
3) The deep external pudic. 
£) The profunda. 
5) 
The anastomotica magna. 
~~~ 
OUR &o Lo 
(a) The superficial circumflex iliac (a. circumflexa ilium superficialis) springs 
from the front of the femoral artery just below Poupart’s ligament. It pierces 
the femoral sheath and the fascia lata, external to the saphenous opening, and 
runs in the superficial fascia as far as the anterior superior spine of the ilium. 
It supplies the outer set of inguinal glands and the skin of the groin, and it sends 
branches through the fascia lata which anastomose with the deep circumflex ilae 
and supply the upper parts of the sartorius and tensor fascia: femoris muscles. 
(6) The superficial epigastric artery (a. epigastrica superficialis) arises near 
