184 SURGICAL ANATOMY OF 



ligament to the spine of the pubes and the ilio-pectineal 

 line, where it unites with Gimbernat's ligament. This 

 portion of the fascia lata forms a falciform process which 

 passes in front of the sheath of the vessels, and is the 

 outer pillar of the saphenic opening. The inner portion, 

 or pubic, is attached along the inferior outlet of the pel- 

 vis, and is there connected with the perinea! fasciae and 

 penis, and passing behind the femoral vessels, becomes 

 attached to the ilio-pectineal line, being thus connected 

 with Gimbernat's ligament, the falciform process of the 

 iliac portion, the fascia iliaca, and the capsule of the hip- 

 joint. It is through this opening that the internal sa- 

 phena vein passes to join the common femoral vein. 



The fascia lata attached along Poupart's ligament is 

 next to be detached and turned down, when the anterior 

 layer of the sheath of the vessels is brought into view, 

 which is a process of the fascia transversalis, and emerges 

 from beneath the crural arch. The posterior portion of 

 this sheath is formed by the fascia iliaca, and it will be 

 seen that it occupies the space between the psoas muscle 

 and Gimbernat's ligament. If the crural arch be pulled 

 upwards a dense band of fibres will be seen connecting 

 the upper layer of the sheath with the crural arch, and 

 reaching from the psoas to Gimbernat's ligament and 

 the conjoined tendon. This is the deep crural arch. If 

 now three vertical slits be made into the sheath, one 

 over the course of the artery externally, another over 

 the femoral vein, centrally, and a third a little internal 

 to the course of the vein, the sheath will be found to be 

 divided into three compartments, separated by distinct 

 processes. The inner compartment is termed the crural 

 canal. The interval between the femoral vein in its 

 compartment and the curved edge of Gimbernat's liga- 



