154 



DISSECTION OF THE THIGH. 



and vessels. 



Aponeurosis 

 over the 

 femoral 

 artery 



ends below 

 by a free 

 border. 



Femoral 

 artery in 

 Hunter's 

 canal ; 



relations ; 



position of 

 veins and 



saphenous 

 nerve. 



The femoral vessels and their branches are to be carefully cleaned. 

 Where the superficial femoral artery passes to the back of the limb 

 its small anastomotic branch arises : this branch is to be pursued 

 through the fibres of the vastus interims, and in front of the adduc- 

 tor inagnus tendon, to the knee ; an offset of it is to be followed 

 with the saphenous nerve. 



The aponeurotic covering of the femoral vessels (fig. 59, 7) exists 

 where they are covered by the sartoritis. It is thin above ; but 

 below it is formed of strong fibres, which are directed transversely 

 between the vastus interims on the outer side and the tendons of 

 the adductor muscles behind and to the inner side. Inferiorly, 

 this membranous structure ceases at the opening in the adductor 

 inagnus by a defined border, beneath which the long saphenous 

 nerve and the anastomotic vessels escape. 



The SUPERFICIAL FEMORAL ARTERY (fig. 59,i) beneath the sartorius 

 muscle lies in a hollow between the muscles covered by the aponeu- 

 rotic expansion just described, until it reaches the opening in the 

 adductor magnus. The passage, thus formed, in which the artery lies, 

 is called HUNTER'S CANAL. Beneath the artery are the pectineus and 

 the adductor brevis in part, the adductor longus, and a small piece 

 of the adductor inagnus. On the outer side is the vastus internus. 



The vein lies close to the artery, on its posterior and outer 

 aspect ; and in the integuments oftentimes an offset of the saphenous 

 passes across the line of the arterial trunk. 



Lying along the front of the artery is the long saphenous 

 nerve, which is beneath the aponeurosis before noticed, but is not 

 contained within the areolar sheath of the vessels. 



The femoral Splitting of the artery. Occasionally the femoral artery is split into two 

 artery may below the origin of the profunda ; but in all the cases that have been met 



with, the branches have united again above the opening in the adductor 



muscle. 



be divide 



superficial, 



deep part. 



Branches : Branches. One named branch anastomotic, and muscular offsets, 



spring from this part of the artery. 



Anasto- The anastomotic branch (fig. 62, &, p. 1 65) arises close to the opening 



in the adductor muscle, and divides at once into two branches, 

 superficial and deep : 



The superficial branch (n) continues with the saphenous nerve to 

 the lower border of the sartorius, and piercing the fascia lata, 

 ramifies in the integuments. 



The deep branch (I) is concealed in the fibres of the vastus 

 internus, and descends in front of the tendon of the adductor 

 magnus to the inner side of the knee-joint, where it anastomoses 

 with the articular branches of the popliteal artery. A branch 

 passes outwards from it in the substance of the vastus muscle, and 

 forms an arch at the upper border of the patella with an offset of the 

 superior external articular artery. 



Muscular branches. Branches for the supply of the muscles come 

 mostly from the outer side of the superficial femoral artery ; they 

 enter the sartorius, the vastus internus, and the adductor longus. 



Muscular 

 branches. 



