456 A MANUAL OF ANATOMY 



saphenous opening. It is to be noted that the external femoral 

 cutaneous or anterior saphenous vein lies over the sartorius muscle 

 at the apex of Scarpa's triangle, where it is liable to be cut in 

 operating in this situation. Before piercing the cribriform fascia 

 the internal or long saphenous vein receives as final tributaries the 

 following veins : the superficial circumflex iliac ; the superficial 

 epigastric ; the superior or superficial external pudic ; and the 

 inferior or deep external pudic. The long saphenous vein has 

 usually about fifteen valves. One of these is found in the vein 

 just before it pierces the cribriform fascia, and another at its 

 opening into the femoral vein. 



The guide to the vein in the femoral part of its course 

 is a line drawn from a point immediately behind the most 

 prominent part of the internal condyle of the femur to a point 

 on the front of the thigh i| inches below Poupart's ligament, at 

 the junction of the inner fourth and outer three-fourths of the 

 limb. 



The vein is occasionally double in the femoral part of its 

 course. This condition is brought about by the vein dividing 

 into two branches shortly after it enters the thigh, which ascend 

 close together and unite to form one trunk close to the saphenous 

 opening. 



Deep Fascia or Fascia Lata. — The fascia lata is a very strong 

 fibrous membrane which forms a continuous tubular sheath swathing 

 the powerful muscles in this region. Superiorly it is attached as 

 follows : (i) to Poupart's ligament as far inwards as the pubic 

 spine ; (2) to the outer lip of the iliac crest, where it covers the 

 anterior two- thirds of the gluteus medius ; (3) to the posterior 

 lamina of the lumbar aponeurosis ; (4) to the back of the lower end 

 of the sacrum and coccyx ; (5) to the lower border of the great 

 sacro-sciatic ligament ; (6) to the tuber ischii ; (7) to the ischio- 

 pubic ramus ; (8) to the anterior or femoral surface of the body of 

 the OS pubis close to the symphysis ; and (9) to the anterior lip of 

 the pubic crest as far outwards as the pubic spine. Inferiorly, in 

 the region of the knee, the fascia lata is disposed as follows : (i) on 

 the outer side it is attached to the head of the fibula and external 

 tuberosity of the tibia ; (2) anteriorly it is attached to the lateral 

 borders of the patella, in which latter situations it forms the larger 

 portions of the so-called lateral patellar ligaments ; from its 

 attachments to the lateral borders of the patella an expansion is 

 sent over that bone and downwards to the head of the tibia, which 

 confines the prepatellar bursa ; (3) posteriorly it is continued un- 

 interruptedly into the back of the leg, covering the popliteal space 

 as it descends, and becoming continuous with the deep fascia : 

 (4) internally it is continued into the inner side of the leg, taking 

 a limited attachment to the internal tuberosity of the tibia, and 

 becoming continuous with the deep fascia. 



The fibres of the fascia lata interlace freely, some of them 

 being circular and others longitudinal. It is pierced by a large 



