I 





THE FEMORAL ARTERY 629 



tores longus and magnus; in front and lateral to it is the Vastus medialis. The femoral vein 

 lies posterior to the upper part, and lateral to the lower part of the artery. 



Peculiarities. Several cases are recorded in which the femoral artery divided into two trunks 

 below the origin of the profunda, and became reunited near the opening in the Adductor magnus, 

 so as to form a single popliteal artery. One occurred in a patient who was operated upon for 

 popliteal aneurism. A few cases have been recorded in which the femoral artery was absent, 

 its place being supplied by the inferior gluteal artery which accompanied the sciatic nerve to the 

 popliteal fossa. The external iliac in these cases was small, and terminated in the profunda. 

 The femoral vein is occasionally placed along the medial side of the artery throughout the entire 

 extent of the femoral trangle; or it may be split so that a large vein is placed on either side of 

 the artery for a greater or lesser distance. 



Collateral Circulation. After ligature of the femoral artery, the main channels for carrying 

 on the circulation are the anastomoses between (1) the superior and inferior gluteal branches 

 of the hypogastric with the medial and lateral femoral circumflex and first perforating branches 

 of the profunda femoris; (2) the obturator branch of the hypogastric with the medial femoral 

 circumflex of the profunda; (3) the internal pudendal of the hypogastric with the superficial 

 and deep external pudendal of the femoral; (4) the deep iliac circumflex of the external iliac with 

 the lateral femoral circumflex of the profunda and the superficial iliac circumflex of the femoral, 

 and (5) the inferior gluteal of the hypogastric with the perforating branches of the profunda. 



Branches . The branches of the femoral artery are: 



Superficial Epigastric. Deep External Pudendal. 



Superficial Iliac Circumflex. Muscular. 



Superficial External Pudendal. Profunda Femoris. 



Highest Genicular. 



The superficial epigastric artery (a. epigastrica superficialis) arises from the 

 front of the femoral artery about 1 cm. below the inguinal ligament, and, passing 

 through the femoral sheath and the fascia cribrosa, turns upward in front of the 

 inguinal ligament, and ascends between the two layers of the superficial fascia of 

 the abdominal wall nearly as far as the umbilicus. It distributes branches to the 

 superficial subinguinal lymph glands, the superficial fascia, and the integument; 

 it anastomoses with branches of the inferior epigastric, and with its fellow of the 

 opposite side. 



The superficial iliac circumflex artery (a. circumflexa ilium superficialis), the 

 smallest of the cutaneous branches, arises close to the preceding, and, piercing 

 the fascia lata, runs lateralward, parallel with the inguinal ligament, as far as the 

 crest of the ilium; it divides into branches which supply the integument of the 



oin, the superficial fascia, and the superficial subinguinal lymph glands, anas- 

 tomosing with the deep iliac circumflex, the superior gluteal and lateral femoral 

 circumflex arteries. 



The superficial external pudendal artery (a. pudenda externa superficialis; 

 superficial external pudic artery) arises from the medial side of the femoral artery, 

 close to the preceding vessels, and, after piercing the femoral sheath and fascia 

 cribrosa, courses medial ward, across the spermatic cord (or round ligament in the 

 female), to be distributed to the integument on the lower part of the abdomen, 

 the penis and scrotum in the male, and the labium majus in the female, anasto- 

 mosing with branches of the internal pudendal. 



The deep external pudendal artery (a. pudenda externa profunda; deep external 

 pudic artery), more deeply seated than the preceding, passes medialward across 

 the Pectineus and the Adductor longus muscles; it is covered by the fascia lata, 

 which it pierces at the medial side of the thigh, and is distributed, in the male, 

 to the integument of the scrotum and perineum, in the female to the labium majus; 

 its branches anastomose with the scrotal (or labial) branches of the perineal artery. 



Muscular branches (rami musculares) are supplied by the femoral artery to the 

 Sartorius, Vastus medialis, and Adductores. 



The profunda femoris artery (a. profunda femoris; deep femoral artery) (Fig. 

 550) is a large vessel arising from the lateral and back part of the femoral artery, 



