138 



DISSECTION OF THE THIGH. 



and nerves. 



The arteries 

 from the 

 femoral. 



One external 

 pudic 

 artery ; 



another 

 beneath the 

 fascia. 



Superficial 

 epigastric. 



Superficial 

 circumflex 

 iliac. 



Veins join 

 the saphe- 



Inguinal 

 glands : 

 two sets, 



which 

 receive 

 different 

 lymphatics. 



Cribriform 

 fascia is 



an areolar 

 membrane 

 over 



saphenous 

 opening : 



relation to 



femoral 



hernia. 



A small nerve, the ilio-inguinal, is to be sought on the inner side 

 of the saphenous vein, close to the pubis ; and a branch of the 

 genito-crural nerve may be found a little outside the vein. 



SUPERFICIAL VESSELS. The small cutaneous arteries at the top 

 of the thigh are the first branches of the femoral trunk, they pierce 

 the deep fascia (fascia lata), and are distributed to the integuments 

 and the glands of the groin and neighbourhood. 



The SUPERFICIAL EXTERNAL PUDIC ARTERY (superior ; fig. 34, //) 



crosses the spermatic cord in its course inwards, and ends in the 

 integuments of the penis and scrotum, where it anastomoses with 

 offsets of the internal pudic artery. 



Another external pudic branch (deep; p. 149) pierces the 

 fascia lata at the inner border of the thigh, and ramifies also 

 in the scrotum. In the female both branches supply the labium 

 pudendi. 



The SUPERFICIAL EPIGASTRIC ARTERY (c) passes over Poupart's 

 ligament to the abdomen, and communicates with branches of the 

 deep epigastric artery. 



The SUPERFICIAL CIRCUMFLEX ILIAC ARTERY frequently arises in 

 common with the foregoing and is the smallest of the three branches ; 

 appearing as two or more pieces at the upper part of the thigh near 

 the iliac crest, it is distributed in the integuments : it supplies an 

 offset with the external cutaneous nerve. 



A vein accompanies each artery, having the same name as its com- 

 panion vessel, and ends in the upper part of the saphenous vein, 

 with the exception of that with the deep external pudic artery : 

 these veins will be noticed directly. 



The SUPERFICIAL INGUINAL GLANDS () are arranged in two lines. 

 An upper set lies across the thigh, near Poupart's ligament ; and a 

 lower set is situate along the side of the saphenous vein. In the 

 lower or femoral group the glands are larger than in the upper, and 

 the lymphatic vessels from the surface of the lower limb enter them. 

 The upper or inguinal group is joined by the lymphatics of the 

 penis, by those of the surface of the abdomen, and by those of the 

 buttock. The glands vary much in number and size ; and not 

 unfrequently some of the longitudinal set by the side of the vein 

 are blended together. 



Cribriform fascia. Beneath, and to the inner side of, the internal 

 saphenous vein there is a thin layer of areolar tissue, which is some- 

 times described as a special deeper layer of the superficial fascia. This 

 stratum is continued across the aperture in the deep fascia 

 (saphenous opening ; fig. 54, /) through which the vein dis- 

 appears ; and being there perforated by many large lymphatic 

 vessels, as well as by the saphenous vein, the name cribriform fascia 

 has been given to this part. The cribriform fascia is closely united 

 to the outer margin of the saphenous opening ; and it is also ad- 

 herent to the subjacent crural sheath of the vessels in the aperture. 

 In a hernial protrusion through the saphenous opening, the cribri- 

 form fascia is stretched and pushed forwards by the tumour, and 

 forms one of the coverings. 



