FEMORAL ARTERY. 



313 



Fig. 114.* 



muscle, inosculates with the ilio-lumbar and 

 inferior lumbar artery. Opposite the anterior 

 superior spinous process of the ilium, it gives 

 off a large ascending branch which passes up- 

 wards between the internal oblique and trans- 

 vcrsalis, and divides into numerous branches 

 which supply the abdominal muscles, and in- 

 osculates with the inferior intercostal and with 

 the lumbar arteries. 



Varieties in the branches of the external 

 iliac. The epigastric artery not unfrequent- 

 ly gives off the obturator ,f which descends in 

 contact with the external iliac vein, to the 

 obturator foramen. In this situation the artery 

 would lie to the outer side of the femoral 

 ring, and would not be endangered in the 

 operation for dividing the stricture of femoral 

 hernia. But occasionally the obturator passes 

 along the free margin of Gimbernat's liga- 

 ment in its course to the obturator foramen, 

 and would completely encircle the neck of 

 the hernial sac ; a position in which it could 

 scarcely escape the knife of the operator. 



In a preparation in my anatomical collec- 

 tion the branch of communication between 

 the epigastric and obturator arteries is very 

 much enlarged, and takes this dangerous 

 course. 



FEMORAL ARTERY. 



Emerging from beneath Poupart's ligament, 

 the external iliac artery enters the thigh and 



* A view of the anterior and inner aspect of the thigh, showing the course and 

 branches of the femoral artery. 1. The lower part of the aponeurosis of the external 

 oblique muscle ; its inferior margin is Poupart's ligament. 2. The external abdominal 

 ring. 3, 3. The upper and lower part of the sartorius muscle; its middle portion hav- 

 ing been removed. 4. The rectus. 5. The vastus internus. 6. The patella. 7. The 

 iliaeus and psoas ; the latter being nearest the artery. 8. The pectineus. 9. The 

 adductor longus. 10. The tendinous canal for the femoral artery formed by the ad- 

 ductor magnus, and vastus internus muscles. 11. The adductor magnus. 12. The 

 gracilis. 13. The tendon of the semi-tendinosus. 14. The femoral artery. 15. The 

 superficial circumflexa ilii artery taking its course along the line of Poupart's ligament, 

 to the crest of the ilium. 2. The superficial epigastric artery. 16. The two external 

 pudic arteries, superficial and deep. 17. The profunda artery giving off 18, its external 

 circumflex branch ; and lower down the three perforantes. A small bend of the inter- 

 nal circumflex artery (8) is seen behind the inner margin of the femoral, just below 

 the deep external pudic artery. 19. The anastomotica magna, descending to the knee, 

 upon which it ramifies (6). 



t The proportion in which high division of the obturator artery from the epigastric 

 occurs, is stated to be one in three. In two hundred and fifty subjects examined by 

 Cloquet with a view to ascertain how frequently the high division took place, he found 

 the obturator arising from the epigastric on both sides one hundred and fifty times ; on 

 one side twenty -eight times, and six times it arose from the femoral artery. 



40 



