244 



FEMORAL ARTERY. 



Hgament upon the inferior part of the abdomen, 

 superficial to the aponeurosis of the external 

 oblique muscle, and enclosed in the subcuta- 

 neous cellular stratum. Its course is irregular, 

 at times nearly parallel* to that of the deep 

 epigastric within the abdominal wall ; at others 

 ascending directly upon the abdomen ; in ge- 

 neral it pursues the latter course. It is consi- 

 derably smaller than the deep epigastric artery, 

 and is concerned altogether in the supply of 

 superficial parts, and in establishing commu- 

 nications with other vessels. Its first branches 

 are distributed to the inguinal glands and co- 

 verings : during its ascent upon the abdomen 

 it gives to either side branches which supply 

 the superficial structures, and inosculate through 

 the ventral foramina with branches of the inter- 

 nal epigastric from within ; and it terminates 

 by communicating with the same and with 

 those of the internal mammary, and of the 

 inferior intercostals. It is, unless in case of 

 disease, a small vessel, and of consequence 

 only from being exposed to be divided in cer- 

 tain operations, viz. that for inguinal hernia, 

 or that for tying the external iliac artery. 



2. The superficial or external pudic arteries 

 (scrotales ou vulvaires, Chauss.) are generally 

 two, distinguished into superficial^ and deep, 

 or superior \ and inferior: of those distinc- 

 tions the latter seems preferable, inasmuch as 

 they are both equally superficial in their dis- 

 tribution, and the difference between them in 

 this particular amounts to no more than that 

 the second continues longer beneath the fascia 

 lata than the first. They arise in general either 

 directly from the femoral, or from a trunk com- 

 mon to them with the superficial epigastric, 

 with which they are of nearly equal size. 



The superior is given off' immediately below 

 Poupait's ligament; comes through the fascia 

 lata, and at the same time gives branches to the 

 inguinal glands ; runs, superficial to the fascia, 

 inward and also upward toward the pubes; 

 and either divides into two, one of which as- 

 cends above, the other, the more considerable, 

 continues below that part; or, as it proceeds, 

 it gives off small branches which ascend above 

 the pubis, and supply the superficial struc- 

 tures upon the inferior middle part of the ab- 

 dominal wall; while it is itself continued to the 

 scrotum and side of the penis, the coverings 

 of which it supplies; or into the labium in the 

 female. Its branches communicate with those, 

 which the external organs of generation receive 

 also from the internal pudic artery, and with 

 branches of the epigastric arteries. This branch 

 is usually divided in the operations for either 

 inguinal or femoral hernia. 



The inferior external pudic artery arises from 

 the femoral at a greater distance from Poupart's 

 ligament than the former: at times it is given 

 oft' by the profunda artery, or from the in- 

 ternal circumflex,||or from the superior branch :lf 

 at others it is absent.** It is situate beneath the 



Harrison. f Cloquet. $ Harrison. 

 Boyer, Cloquct, Tiedemann. 

 Harrison. 

 Ibid. ** Ibid. 



fascia lata through a greater extent of its course 

 than the superior; runs inward across the pec- 

 tinalis muscle, covered by the fascia; passes 

 then through the fascia, and gains the scrotum 

 or the labium and the perineum, in which it is 

 distributed, communicating with the inferior 

 branch of the former and with the perineal 

 artery. Its course is at times so far from Pou- 

 part's ligament that it crosses behind the sa- 

 phena vein. 



Occasionally a third* external pudic artery 

 is present, arising either from the femoral itself, 

 the profunda, or the internal circumflex artery. 



3. The superficial anterior iliac artery (ar- 

 teria circumjiexa ilii superficialis, Harrison ; 

 external cutaneous, Scarpa ; artcre musculaire 

 superficielle, Cloquet ;) arises from the outer 

 side of the femoral artery, or at times from the 

 profunda :f it runs outward in front of the 

 crural nerve, and after a short course divides 

 into three branches. Its first comes from within 

 the fascia lata and is distributed to the superfi- 

 cial inguinal glands : its second branch also 

 comes through the fascia, runs round the ante- 

 rior and outer side of the thigh, below the 

 spinous process of the ilium, and is distri- 

 buted superficially: and its third runs outward 

 and upward, beneath the fascia lata, toward 

 the superior anterior spinous process of the 

 ilium ; supplies the sartorius and tensor vaginae 

 muscles at their origin, and also gives branches 

 to the iliacus interims. This artery communi- 

 cates with branches of the gluteal, the deep 

 anterior iliac, and the external circumflex 

 arteries. 



4. The profunda artery (arteria profunda 

 femoris; intermusculaire, Chauss.) is the vessel 



by which the muscles and other structures of 

 the thigh are for the greater part supplied, 

 whence it may be regarded as in strictness the 

 femoral artery, the trunk of the femoral, in its 

 general acceptation, being distributed to the 

 leg and foot : it is also the channel through 

 which the communications between the femoral 

 artery and the main arteries of the trunk on the 

 one hand, and of the lower part of the limb 

 on the other, are established, and by which, in 

 case of interruption of the first vessel, either 

 below or above the origin of the profunda, the 

 circulation is to be restored : it is therefore an 

 artery of great importance, and also of great 

 size, being nearly equal to, though for the most 

 part somewhat smaller than, the femoral itself, 

 while in many cases it is fully equal to it. Hence, 

 probably, it has received the name profunda 

 femoris, deep femoral artery; and by many the 

 femoral artery is distinguished into the common 

 femoral and the superficial and deep femorals; 

 the first extending from the entrance of the 

 vessel into the thigh to the origin of the pro- 

 funda ; the second being the vessel from the 

 point last mentioned to that at which it becomes 

 popliteal ; and the third the artery which is at 

 present under consideration. 



The profunda artery for the most part arises 

 from the posterior and outer side of the femoral 



* Scarpa, Boyer. 

 f Cloquet, Scarpa. 



