950 



THE VASCULAK SYSTEM. 



adductor magnus. It anastomoses, in front of the distal part of the glutseus maximus, with 

 the inferior glutaeal and first perforating arteries and with the transverse branch of the lateral 

 circumflex, and, in the substance of the hamstrings, with the muscular branches of the profunda. 



(d) The perforating arteries (Fig. 780), including the terminal branch of the profunda, 



are four in number. 

 They curve postero- 

 laterally, round the 

 posterior aspect of 

 the femur, lying close 

 to the bone and an- 

 terior to the well- 

 marked tendinous 

 arches which inter- 

 rupt the continuity 

 of muscular attach- 

 ments ; their ter- 

 minal branches enter 

 the vastus lateralis 

 and anastomose, in 

 its substance, with 

 one another, with 

 the descending 

 branch of the lateral 

 circumflex, with the 

 arteria genu sup- 

 rema, and with the 

 superior lateral geni- 

 cular branch of the 

 popliteal. 



The first perforat- 

 ing artery pierces the 

 insertions of the ad- 

 ductors brevis and 

 magnus, and some of 

 its branches anasto- 

 mose, anterior to the 

 gluteeus maximus, 

 with the inferior 

 glutseal, witE tne 

 transverse branch of 

 the medial circumflex, 

 and with the trans- 

 verse branch of the 

 lateral circumflex, 

 forming what is 

 known as the crucial 

 anastomosis. 



The second perfor- 

 ating artery pierces 

 the adductors brevis 

 and magnus, and then 

 passes between the 

 glutseus maximus and 

 the short head of the 

 biceps femoris into the 

 vastus lateralis. It 

 anastomoses with its 

 proximal and distal 

 fellows, and with the 

 medial circumflex and 

 the proximal muscular 

 branches of the pop- 

 liteal artery. 

 The third and fourth perforating arteries pass through the adductor magnus and the short 



head of the biceps femoris into the vastus lateralis. Their anastomoses are similar to those o 



the second perforating. 



A nutrient branch to the femur is given off either from the second or third perforating 



Glutseus maximus 



Sacro-tuberous 



ligament (/) , ( 



Internal _ ._ .' 

 pudendal artery 



Inferior 

 gluteal artery 



Arteria comitans 

 nervi ischiadici 



Biceps and 

 semitendinosus 



Semimembranosus 



Adductor magnus 



Muscular branch 

 of profunda artery 



Gracilis 



Popliteal artery 



Superior medial 

 genicular artery 



Semitendinosus 

 Gastrocnemius 



Muscular artery 



Glutaeus medius 



dutseus minimus 



Deep branch of 

 gluteal artery 



riformis 



Obturator interims 

 and gemelli 

 Profunda branch 

 of medial 

 circumflex artery 



Quadratus femoris 



Transverse branch 

 -of medial 

 circumflex artery 



1st perforating 

 ^artery 



2nd perforating 

 artery 



3rd perforating 

 artery 



Termination of 

 profunda artery 

 (4th perforating) 



Short head of biceps 



Jjong head of biceps 



Popliteal vein 



Superior lateral genicular 

 artery 



. ^Gastrocnemius 



FIG. 780. THE ARTERIES OF THE BUTTOCK AND THE POSTERIOR ASPECT 

 OF THE THIGH AND KNEE. 



