

CRURAL CANAL FEMORAL RING. m 



adherent to the contained vessels about an inch below the saphenous opening, 

 becoming blended with the areolar sheath of the vessels, but opposite Poupart's 

 ligament it is much larger than is required to contain them ; hence the funnel- 

 shaped form which it presents. The outer border of the sheath is perforated by 

 the genito-crural nerve. Its inner border is pierced by the internal saphenous vein, 

 and numerous lymphatic vessels. In front it is covered by the iliac portion of the 

 fascia lata ; and, behind it, is the pubic portion of the same fascia. 



Deep Crural Arch. Passing across the front of the crural sheath, and closely 

 connected with it, is a thickened band of fibres, called the deep crural arch. It 

 is apparently a thickening of the fascia transversalis, joined externally to the 

 centre of Poupart's ligament, and arching across the front of the crural sheath, 

 to be inserted by a broad attachment into the pectineal line, behind the conjoined 

 tendon. In some subjects, this structure is not very prominently marked, and not 

 unfrequently it is altogether wanting. 



If the anterior wall of the sheath is removed, the femoral artery and vein are 

 seen lying side by side, a thin septum separating the two vessels, and another 

 septum separating the vein from the inner wall of the sheath ; the septa are stretched 

 between the anterior and posterior walls of the sheath, so that each vessel is 

 inclosed in a separate compartment. The interval left between the vein and the 

 inner wall of the sheath is not filled up by any structure, excepting a little loose 

 areolar tissue, a few lymphatic vessels, and occasionally a lymphatic gland ; this 

 is the femoral or crural canal, through which a portion of intestine descends in 

 femoral hernia. 



The crural canal is the narrow interval between the femoral vein and the inner 

 wall of the crural sheath. Its length is from a quarter to half an inch, and it 

 extends from Gimbernat's ligament to the upper part of the saphenous opening. 



Its anterior wall is very narrow, and formed by the fascia transversalis, Pou- 

 part's ligament, and the falciform process of the fascia lata. 



Its posterior wall is formed by the iliac fascia and the pubic portion of the 

 fascia lata. 



Its outer wall is formed by the fibrous septum covering the inner side of the 

 femoral vein. 



Its inner wall is formed by the junction of the transversalis and iliac fasciae, 

 which forms the inner side of the femoral sheath and covers the outer edge of 

 Gimbernat's ligament. 



This canal has two orifices : a lower one, the saphenous opening, closed by the 

 cribriform fascia ; an upper one, the femoral or crural ring, closed by the septum 

 crurale. 



The femoral or crural ring (fig. 386) is the upper opening of the femoral canal, 

 and leads into the cavity of the abdomen. It is bounded in front by Poupart's 

 ligament and the deep crural arch ; behind, by the pubes, covered by the Pectineus 

 muscle, and the pubic portion of the fascia lata; internally, by Gimbernat's 

 ligament, the conjoined tendon, the transversalis fascia, and the deep crural arch ; 

 externally, by the femoral vein, covered by its sheath. The femoral ring 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 ; hence one of the reasons of the 

 greater frequency of femoral hernia in the former sex. 



Position of Parts around the Ring. The spermatic cord in the male, and round 

 ligament in the female, lie immediately above the anterior margin of the femoral 

 ring, and may be divided in an operation for femoral hernia if the incision for 

 the relief of the stricture is not of limited extent. In the female this is of little 

 importance, but in the male the spermatic artery and vas deferens may be divided. 



The femoral vein lies on the outer side of the ring. 



The epigastric artery, in its passage inwards from th'e external iliac to the 

 umbilicus, passes across the upper and outer angle of the crural ring, and is 

 consequently in great danger of being wounded if the stricture' is divided in a 

 direction upwards and outwards. 



