THE LOWER LIMB 461 



ments — outer, middle, and inner. The outer compartment contains 

 the common femoral artery and the femoral branch of the genito- 

 femoral nerve for a short distance at its upper part, where the 

 nerve lies immediately external to the arter\'. The middle com- 

 partment contains the femoral vein and three of the deep femoral 

 glands. The inner compartment is called the crural or femoral 

 canal, and it contains one of the deep femoral glands and a certain 

 amount of adipose tissue, the gland lying at the upper end of the 

 canal. 



Femoral Canal. — ^This is the inner compartment of the femoral 

 sheath, and it is \ inch in length. Its upper end forms the crural 

 or femoral ring, and is on a level with the base of Gimbemat's 

 ligament. Its lower end is just below the superior comu of the 

 saphenous opening. The boundaries of the canal are as follows: 

 the anterior wall is formed by the fascia transversalis ; the post^ior 

 wall by the fascia iliaca ; the inner wall by the junction of the fascia 

 transversalis and fascia iliaca; and the outer wall by the internal 

 septum within the sheath. 



Femoral Ring. — ^This is by no means a patent opening, but is 

 bridged over by the subperitoneal areolar tissue of the abdominal 

 wall. The septum thus formed between the crural canal and 

 abdominal cavity is called the septum femorale (fascia of Cloquet). 

 It protrudes slightly into the canal, and the l\Tnphatic gland which 

 lies at the upper end of the canal is attached to its under convex 

 surface, ^^'hen the septum crurale has been removed from the 

 femoral ring, the apertiure presents an oval shape, with the long 

 measiu*ement lying transversely, in which direction it measures 

 I inch. It readily admits the little finger, and it is som.e- 

 what larger in the female than in the male. The situation of 

 the ring is close to the outer side of the base of Gimbemat's 

 ligament, and its position may be ascertained in one of two 

 ways. 



(i) Draw a line from the pubic spine horizontally outwards across 

 the front of the thigh, and take a point in this line fully i inch to the 

 outer side of the pubic spine. 



(2) Find the central point between the anterior superior iliac 

 spine and the s\Tnphysis pubis; then take a point on Poupart's 

 ligament rather more than | inch to the inner side of this central 

 point. 



Boundaries — Anterior. — ^The inner part of Poupart's ligament, 

 and the deep femoral arch. Posterior. — The pubic lamina of the 

 fascia lata, joined by Cooper's ligament;* the pectineus muscle; 

 and the superior pubic ramus. Internal. — The base of Gimbemat's 



* The pubic ligament of Cooper is a strong bundle of fibres extending 

 between the iUo-pectineal eminence and the pubic spine, between which 

 points it is attached to the pectineal portion of the ilio-pectineal line. It 

 has the pectineal border of Gimbemat's ligament immediately behind it, 

 and is closely incorporated with the pubic lamina of the fascia lata, where 

 that is attached to the pectineal portion of the ilio-pectineal line. 



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