278 THE VASCULAR SYSTEMS 



over the cord, supplying the penis and scrotum (the labium in 

 the female). 



(d) The inferior external pudic arises close to the superior, 

 crosses the pectineus, pierces the fascia lata at the margin of 

 the groin, and supplies the perineum and scrotum (the labium 

 in the female). 



(e) The muscular branches all along its course. 



(/) The anastomotica magna arises close to the adductor open- 

 ing, and divides into two branches: a deep, to the inner side of 

 the knee, joins the recurrent tibial and articular arteries, and a 

 superficial, which runs with the long saphenous nerve. 



(g) The profunda artery arises from the femoral at its outer 

 and back part, one to two inches below Poupart's ligament. It 

 at first runs outward, but afterward behind the femoral, then 

 beneath the adductor longus, terminating at the lower third 

 of the thigh by piercing the adductor magnus, becoming the 

 lowest perforating artery. 



Relations. In front, adductor longus, femoral and profunda 

 veins; behind, iliacus, pectineus, adductores magnus and brevis; 

 externally, vastus internus. 



Branches. The external circumflex runs beneath the sartorius 

 and rectus, and divides into ascending branches, under the 

 tensor vaginae to join the gluteal and deep circumflex iliac 

 arteries; descending branches, running upon the vasti, some 

 passing beneath to the knee, to join the articular arteries ; 

 transverse, piercing the vastus externus to the back of the femur, 

 and joining the superior perforating. 



The internal circumflex runs between the psoas and pectineus, 

 and supplies the adductor and obturator muscles and an artic- 

 ular twig to the hip-joint, under transverse ligament. It then 

 joins in the crucial anastomosis, which is situated in the upper 

 part of the thigh posteriorly, covered by the gluteus maximus. 

 It is formed by the joining of this artery with the sciatic from 

 above, the superior perforating below, and the external circum- 

 flex to the outer side. 



The perforating pierce the short and great adductor muscles 

 close to the femur, to the back of the thigh, anastomosing freely 

 with each other and with the popliteal below. The superior 

 enters into the crucial anastomosis. The first arises above the 

 adductor brevis, the second opposite, the third below it. The 

 second or third gives the nutrient artery to the femur. The ter- 

 mination of the profunda is called the fourth perforating. 



