THE FEMORAL ARTERY 



687 



'crotum. 



to half an inch, and it extends from the femoral ring to the upper part of the 

 saphenous opening. 



This canal has two orifices an upper one, the femoral or crural ring, closed by 

 the septum crurale; and a lower one, the saphenous opening, closed by the cribri- 

 form fascia. 



The femoral or crural ring (annulus femoralis) (Figs. 463 and 464) is the upper 

 opening of the femoral canal, and leads into the cavity of the abdomen. It is 

 of an oval form; its long diameter, 

 directed transversely, measures 

 about half an inch, and it is larger 

 in the female than in the male, 

 which is one of the reasons of 

 the greater frequency of femoral 

 hernia in the former sex. 



Scarpa's triangle (trigonum 

 femorale) corresponds to the de- 

 pression seen immediately below 

 the fold of the groin. It is a 

 triangular space, the apex of 

 which is directed downward, and 

 the sides formed externally by the 

 Sartorius. internally by the inner 

 margin of the Adductor longus. 

 and above by Poupart's ligament. 

 The floor of the space is formed 

 from without inward by the Ilia- 

 cus, Psoas, Pectineus (in some 

 cases a small part of the Adduc- 

 tor brevis), and the Adductor 

 longus muscles; and it is divided 

 into two nearly equal parts by 

 the femoral vessels, which extend 

 from the middle of its base to its 

 apex, the artery giving off in this 

 situation its superficial and pro- 

 funda branches, the vein receiving 

 the deep femoral and internal 

 saphenous. On the outer side of 

 the femoral artery is the femoral 

 nerve dividing into its branches. 

 In the outer corner of the space 

 is the external cutaneous nerve. 

 Within the sheath of the artery, 

 and lying upon the outer side of 

 the vessel, Js^the femoral branch 

 of the genitofemoral nerve. At 

 the base of the triangle the vein 

 is to the inner side of the artery: 

 at the apex of the triangle it is 

 passing behind the artery. Besides 

 the vessels and nerves, this space 

 contains some fat and lymphatics. 



Hunter's canal, or the adductor canal (canalis adductorius [Hunter i]} (Fig. 

 383), is the aponeurotic space in the middle third of the thigh, extending from 



Long saphenous 

 nerve. 



Superior external 

 articular. 



Inferior external 

 articular. 



Anastomotica 



magna. 

 Superior internal 



articular. 



Anterior tibial 

 recurrent. 



\l ! it 



j' r -A Inferior internal 



w\ 



FIG. 482. The femoral artery. 



