

SUPERIOR FEMORAL REGION. 233 



sheath ; a cellular interspace between them and the outer 

 border of the pectineus, in which lie the internal circum- 

 flex vessels, the pectineus, and the adductor brevis, also 

 separated by a slight interval. Beneath, the upper por- 

 tion of the rectus and the external circumflex vessels, 

 the upper part of the vasti, the neck of the femur, and 

 the anterior portion of the articulation. Immediately 

 behind the psoas and iliacus tendon and the pectineus, 

 are large bursae separating them from the joint. Beneath 

 the pectineus and adductor brevis are the obturator ves- 

 sels and nerve, the obturator externus, and portion of 

 the adductor magnus muscles. 



Femoral Artery in Soarpa's Space. The vessel is a 

 continuation of the external iliac, and enters the space 

 below Poupart's ligament, at a point midway between 

 the anterior superior spine of the ilium and the symphy- 

 sis pubis, and it lies in the crural sheath for about an 

 inch and a half or two inches, which sheath separates it 

 from the fascia lata and inguinal glands. 



The common femoral vein lies to its inner side above, 

 but gets behind it lower down. The anterior crural 

 nerve lies about half an inch external to it. It lies at 

 first on the psoas and afterwards on the pectineus, but 

 separated from it by the femoral vein and profunda ves- 

 sels. It usually gives off four superficial branches 

 the superficial epigastric, circumflex iliac, and the super- 

 ficial and deep external pudic. The profunda or deep 

 femoral generally arises from the outer and back part of 

 the common trunk, about an inch and a half or two 

 inches below the crural arch ; at its commencement the 

 vessel is on the outside of the femoral vessels ; but it 

 soon passes behind, and finally reaching the inside, 

 courses downwards and backwards among the adductor 



