470 A MANUAL OF ANATOMY 



Ligamentum Patellae (infrapatellar tendon).— This ligament is 

 really a continuation of the common tendon of the quadriceps 

 extensor cruris, the patella being originally a sesamoid cartilage 

 developed in that tendon. It is a very strong, flat, broad ligament, 

 about 2 inches in length. It is attached superiorly to the blunt 

 apex and adjacent margins of the lower part of the patella, and 

 inferiorly to the lower rough half of the tubercle of the tibia, a 

 bursa intervening between the tendon and the upper smooth half of 

 that tubercle. 



Anterior Femoral Nerve. — ^This is the largest branch of the lumbar 

 plexus, its fibres being derived from the dorsal divisions of the 

 second, third, and fourth lumbar nerves. In the abdomen the 

 nerve lies deeply between the psoas magnus and iliacus muscles, 

 and in this position it passes into the thigh beneath Poupart's 

 ligament. In the upper part of Scarpa's triangle it continues to lie 

 deeply between these two muscles, being outside the femoral sheath 

 md about J inch to the outer side of the common femoral artery. 

 In this situation the nerve becomes broad and flat, and, at a point 

 about f inch below Poupart's ligament, it breaks up into two 

 divisions. One of these is called the superficial or anterior division, 

 and it is partly muscular and partly cutaneous ; the other is called 

 the deep or posterior division, and it is principally muscular and 

 articular, only one . cutaneous nerve, namely, the long saphenous, 

 arising from it. 



Branches. — ^These are conveniently divided into intra-abdominal 

 and extra-abdominal or femoral. 



The intra-abdominal branches arise from the trunk of the 

 nerve, and are as follows : muscular, three or four in number, to 

 the iliacus ; and an arterial branch to the coats of the femoral 

 artery. 



The extra-abdominal or femoral branches arise from the two 

 terminal divisions of the nerve in Scarpa's triangle. 



The branches of the superfieial or anterior division are muscular 

 to the sartorius and pectineus, and cutaneous, namely, middle 

 cutaneous and internal cutaneous, to the integument of the front 

 and inner side of the thigh, and of the inner side of the leg in 

 its upper half. 



The branches of the deep or posterior division are muscular to 

 the rectus femoris, vastus externus, vastus internus, crureus, and 

 subcrureus ; articular to the hip-joint and knee-joint (see nerve- 

 supply of quadriceps extensor cruris) ; and the long saphenous 

 nerve, already described. 



Internal Femoral Muscles. Gracilis (adductor gracilis) — Origin.— | 

 (i) The anterior or femoral surface of the body of the os pubis in its 

 lower half, close to the symphysis ; and (2) the front of the descend-j 

 ing pubic ramus close to its inner border. 



Insertion. — The upper part of the inner surface of the shaft 

 of the tibia, above the semitendinosus, and under cover of the 

 sartorius. 



