504 



THE MUSCLES AND FASCIA 



POUPART'S 



t LIGAMENT 



^--FEMORAL NERVE 



FEMORAL ARTERY 



ILIAC FASCIA 



The portion investing the Iliacus is connected externally to the whole length 

 of the inner border of the crest of the ilium, and internally to the brim of the 

 true pelvis, where it is continuous with the periosteum; at the iliopectineal emi- 

 nence it receives the tendon of insertion of the Psoas parvus, when that muscle 

 exists. External to the external iliac vessels, this fascia is intimately connected 

 to the posterior margin of Poupart's ligament, and is continuous with the fascia 

 transversalis. Immediately to the outer side of the external iliac vessels, as they 

 pass beneath Poupart's ligament, the fascia iliaca is prolonged backward and 

 inward from Poupart's ligament as a band, the iliopectineal ligament, and is at- 

 tached to the iliopectineal eminence. The ligament divides the space between 



Poupart's ligament and the 

 horizontal ramus of the pubis 

 into two parts, the inner of 

 which (lacuna vasorurn) trans- 

 mits the femoral vessels, is 

 bounded internally by the 

 base of Gimbernat's ligament 

 and contains the femoral ring. 

 The outer part (lacuna mus- 

 culorum) transmits the Ilio- 

 psoas and the femoral nerve 

 (Fig. 378). Internal to the 

 vessels the iliac fascia is at- 

 tached to the iliopectineal line 

 behind the conjoined tendon, 

 where it is again continuous 

 with the transversalis fascia; 

 and, corresponding to the point 

 where the femoral vessels pass 

 into the thigh, this fascia de- 

 scends behind them, forming 

 the posterior wall of the fem- 

 oral sheath. This portion of 

 the iliac fascia which passes 

 behind the femoral vessels is 

 also attached to the iliopec- 

 tineal line beyond the limits 

 of the attachment of the con- 

 joined tendon; at this part it 

 is continuous with the pubic 

 portion of the fascia lata of the 

 thigh. The external iliac ves- 

 sels lie in front of the iliac fascia, but all the branches of the lumbar plexus lie 

 behind it; it is separated from the peritoneum by a quantity of loose areolar 

 tissue. The femoral sheath (fascia cruris) is formed by the transversalis fascia 

 in front of the vessels and the iliac fascia behind them. The fasciae join to the 

 inner side of the femoral vein, a space, the femoral canal, intervening between 

 the vein and their junction. 



Between the femoral vein and the edge of Gimbernat's ligament is the femoral or 

 crural ring (annulus femoralis) (Fig. 380). The femoral canal (canalis femoralis) 

 is the interval between the femoral vein and the inner wall of the femoral sheath. 

 This canal extends from the femoral ring to the saphenous opening. The femoral 

 ring is closed by the septum crurale of Cloquet (septum femorale [Cloqueti]), which 

 is a process of transversalis fascia. 



FEMORAL VEIN 



GIMBERNAT'S 

 GAMENT 



FIG. 378. Poupart's ligament and the relation of the parts 

 passing beneath it. (Poirier and Charpy.) 



