564 DISSECTION OF THE THIGH. 



fat. It measures commonly three inches from above down ; but the 

 length varies with the breadth of the sartorius, and the height at which 

 this muscle crosses inwards. 



The base of the space is at Poupart's ligament ; and the apex is at the 

 meeting of the sartorius with the adductor longus muscle. 



Towards the surface it is covered by the fascia lata, and by the tegu- 

 ments with inguinal glands and superficial vessels. The floor slopes to- 

 wards the middle, where it is deepest ; it is constructed externally by the 

 sartorius, A, and by the conjoined psoas and iliacus, B, for about two 

 inches ; and internally by the pectineus and adductor longus muscle, E 

 and F, and between and beneath these near the large vessels, is a small 

 piece of the adductor brevis. 



The femoral artery runs through the centre of the hollow, and supplies 

 small cutaneous offsets, as well as a large deep branch, the profunda : a 

 small offset (external pudic) is directed from it to the scrotum across the 

 inner boundary. On the inner side of the artery and close to it is placed 

 the femoral vein, which is here joined by the saphenous and profunda 

 branches. About a third of an inch external to the vessel is situate the 

 large anterior crural nerve, which lies deeply at first between the iliacus 

 and psoas, but becomes afterwards more superficial and divides into 

 branches. 



Deep lymphatics accompany the femoral vessels, and are continued 

 into the iliac glands in the abdomen ; they are joined by the superficial 

 lymphatics. 



FEMORAL ARTERY (fig. 197.) This vessel is a continuation of the ex- 

 ternal iliac, and reaches from the lower of Poupart's ligament to the 

 margin of the opening in the adductor magnus muscle; at that spot it 

 passes into the ham, and takes the name popliteal. Occupying two-thirds 

 of the thigh, the course of the vessel will be indicated, during rotation 

 outwards of the limb with the knee-joint half bent, by a line drawn from 

 a point midway between the symphysis pubis and the front of the iliac 

 crest, to the inside of the inner condyle of the femur. 



In the upper part of its course the artery lies rather internal to the 

 head of the femur, and is comparatively superficial, being uncovered by 

 muscle ; but, in the lower part, it is placed along the inner side of the 

 shaft of that bone, and is beneath the sartorius muscle. This difference 

 in its connections allows of a division of the arterial trunk into tw r o por- 

 tions, superficial and deep. 



The superficial part of the artery (fig. 195, ), which is now laid bare, 

 is contained in Scarpa's triangular space, and is about three inches long. 

 Its position in that hollow may be ascertained by the line before men- 

 tioned. 



Incased at first in the crural sheath for about two inches, it is covered 

 by the skin and the superficial fascia, and by the fascia lata and some in- 

 guinal glands. At its beginning the artery rests on the psoas muscle ; 

 and it is subsequently placed over the pectineus, E, though at some dis- 

 tance from it in this position of the limb, and separated from it by fat, 

 and the profunda and femoral veins. 



Its companion vein (A) is on the inner side and close to it at the pubes, 

 but is placed behind the artery at the apex of the space. 



The anterior crural nerve lies on the outer side, being distant about a 

 third of an inch near Poupart's ligament ; and the internal cutaneous 

 branch of the nerve approaches the artery, or lies on it, near the apex of 



