956 NEUROLOGY 



form net-work (subsartorial plexus) with branches of the saphenous and obturator 

 nerves. When the communicating branch from the obturator nerve is large and 

 continued to the integument of the leg, the posterior branch of the medial cutaneous 

 is small, and terminates in the plexus, occasionally giving off a few cutaneous 

 filaments. The medial cutaneous nerve, before dividing, gives off a few filaments, 

 which pierce the fascia lata, to supply the integument of the medial side of the 

 thigh, accompanying the long saphenous vein. One of these filaments passes 

 through the saphenous opening; a second becomes subcutaneous about the middle 

 of the thigh; a third pierces the fascia at its lower third. 



MUSCULAR BRANCHES (rami musculares) . The nerve to the Pectineus arises 

 immediately below the inguinal ligament, and passes behind the femoral sheath to 

 enter the anterior surface of the muscle; it is often duplicated. The nerve to the 

 Sartorius arises in common with the intermediate cutaneous. 



The posterior division of the femoral nerve gives off the saphenous nerve, and 

 muscular and articular branches. 



The Saphenous Nerve (n. saphenus; long or internal saphenous nerve) (Fig. 827) 

 is the largest cutaneous branch of the femoral nerve. It approaches the femoral 

 artery where this vessel passes beneath the Sartorius, and lies in front of it, behind 

 the aponeurotic covering of the adductor canal, as far as the opening in the lower 

 part of the Adductor magnus. Here it quits the artery, and emerges from behind 

 the lower edge of the aponeurotic covering of the canal; it descends vertically 

 along the medial side of the knee behind the Sartorius, pierces the fascia lata,, 

 between the tendons of the Sartorius and Gracilis, and becomes subcutaneous. 

 The nerve then passes along the tibial side of the leg, accompanied by the great 

 saphenous vein, descends behind the medial border of the tibia, and, at the lower 

 third of the leg, divides into two branches : one continues its course along the margin 

 of the tibia, and ends at the ankle; the other passes in front of the ankle, and is 

 distributed to the skin on the medial side of the foot, as far as the ball of the great 

 toe, communicating with the medial branch of the superficial peroneal nerve. 



BRANCHES. The saphenous nerve, about the middle of the thigh, gives off a 

 branch which joins the subsartorial plexus. 



At the medial side of the knee it gives off a large infrapatellar branch, which 

 pierces the Sartorius and fascia lata, and is distributed to the skin in front of the 

 patella. This nerve communicates above the knee with the anterior cutaneous 

 branches of the femoral nerve; below the knee, with other branches of the saphenous; 

 and, on the lateral side of the joint, with branches of tlie lateral femoral cutaneous 

 nerve, forming a plexiform net-work, the plexus patellae. The infrapatellar branch 

 is occasionally small, and ends by joining the anterior cutaneous branches of the 

 femoral, which supply its place in front of the knee. 



Below the knee, the branches of the saphenous nerve are distributed to the skin 

 of the front and medial side of the leg, communicating with the cutaneous branches 

 of the femoral, or with filaments from the obturator nerve. 



The muscular branches supply the four parts of the Quadriceps femoris. The 

 branch to the Rectus femoris enters the upper part of the deep surface of the muscle, 

 and supplies a filament to the hip-joint. The branch to the Vastus lateralis, of 

 large size, accompanies the descending branch of the lateral femoral circumflex 

 artery to the lower part of the muscle. It gives off an articular filament to the 

 knee-joint. The branch to the Vastus medialis descends lateral to the femoral 

 vessels in company with the saphenous nerve. It enters the muscle about its middle, 

 and gives off a filament, which can usually be traced downward, on the surface of 

 the muscle, to the knee-joint. The branches to the Vastus intermedius, two or 

 three in number, enter the anterior surface of the muscle about the middle of the 

 thigh; a filament from one of these descends through the muscle to the Articularis 

 genu and the knee-joint. The articular branch to the hip-joint is derived from the 

 nerve to the Rectus femoris. 



