164 HANDBOOK OF ANATOMY 



longus, adductor magnus, and is covered by sartorius, and on the 

 outer side lies vastus internus. 



The long saphenous nerve enters the canal with the artery,, 

 and crossing over passes out on its inner side. 



The femoral vein lies behind the artery on its outer side below 

 and on its inner side above. 



Branches (in Scarpa's triangle) : 



(1) Superficial external pudic, 



(2) Superficial epigastric, 



(3) Superficial circumflex iliac, 



all of which supply the lower part of the abdominal wall and 

 superficially the external genital organs, 



(4) Muscular, 



(5) Deep external pudic, 



(6) Profunda, 



all of which supply the muscles on the front and inner side of 

 the thigh, the profunda sending off a number of perforating 

 branches, which curve backwards and outwards round the femur. 



In Hunter's canal (near the lower end) : 



(7) Anastomotica magna, which anastomoses with the termina- 

 tions of the other branches and the articular branches of the 

 popliteal artery. 



The femoral artery is continued as the popliteal artery, which 

 lies in the popliteal space at the back of the knee-joint. 



The Popliteal Space is a diamond-shaped space at the back of 

 the knee, covered in by a very strong fascia; above, the 

 Boundaries are the ham-strings, biceps on the outer side, semi- 

 tendinosus and semimembranosus on the inner side ; below, the 

 two heads of the gastrocnemius ; the floor is formed by the 

 posterior surface of the femur, and popliteus. The contents are 

 the popliteal artery and vein, the popliteal nerves and lymphatic 

 glands. 



Popliteal Artery. From the opening in the insertion of 

 adductor magnus to the lower border of popliteus, where it ter- 

 minates by dividing into the anterior and posterior tibial arteries. 



The artery descends with an outward inclination to the space 

 between the condyles of the femur, and then continues vertically 

 downwards. It is in contact in front with the popliteal surface 



