THE EXTERNAL ILIAC ARTERIES. 549 



4. Innominate or Small Muscular Arteries. 



The femoral artery gives off on. its course numerous small branches 

 destined for the neighbouring muscles, though too diminutive to merit parti- 

 cular description. One of these furnisjies the nutritive artery of the femur, 

 the largest, perhaps, of all the arteries supplying bones. Another (Fig, 277, 

 17) sends to the stifle a long articular branch, analogous to the great 

 anastomoticus of Man, which descends along the vastus internus, beneath the 

 adductors of the leg, at the interstice which separates these two muscles. 



5. Saphena Artery. (Fig. 277, 16.) 



This artery, remarkable for its small volume, the length of its course, and 

 its connections with the vein whose name it bears, is destined fo'r the skin on 

 the inner side of the thigh and leg. 



It takes its origin at an acute angle, from nearly the middle of the femoral 

 artery, either alone or in common with one of the principal innominate 

 muscular branches, and becomes superficial in passing into the interstice of 

 the two adductors of the leg, or in traversing one of these, usually the short 

 one or gracilis. It lies on the surface of this muscle, beside the saphena 

 vein, and bifurcates at the angle of union of the two roots wEich constitute 

 that vessel. One of the branches accompanies the anterior vein to nearly 

 the lower third of the leg ; the other follows the posterior vein, and usually 

 anastomoses in the hollow of the hock, above the calcaneus, with a branch 

 from the posterior tibial artery, and which also communicates with one of the 

 branches of the femoro-popliteal artery. 



Popliteal Artery. (Fig. 277, 18.) 



Preparation. The preparation which has served for Ihe study of the femoral artery 

 being nearly arranged as in figure 277, remove from it the internal gastrocnemius and 

 popliteus muscles. 



The above name is given to the continuation of the femoral artery. 

 This vessel follows a descending direction behind the femoro-tibial articula- 

 tion, between the two gastrocnemii muscles, insinuates itself beneath the 

 popliteus, and bifurcates at the peroneal arch after a course of from 6 to 

 8 inches, to form the posterior and anterior tibial arteries. 



The popliteal artery emits on its track : 1, The femoro-popliteal artery ; 

 2, Articular branches ; 3, Muscular branches chiefly destined to the 

 gastrocnemii muscles, of which it is necessary to particularise one long 

 division that descends within the perforatus, in company with the great 

 femoro-popliteal nerve, to terminate superficially near the tendo-Achillis, 

 where it anastomoses with a recurrent branch of the posterior tibial 

 artery (Fig. 277, 20). 



The femoro-popliteal artery is the only one of these collateral branches 

 deserving particular mention. Its origin indicates the limit of the femoral 

 and popliteal arteries, as it is detached at a right angle below the ring of 

 the great abductor of the thigh, at the intermediate point of these two 

 vessels. Placed between the semimembranosis and semitendinosis 

 muscles on the one part, and the long vastus on the other, this vessel is 

 directed from before to behind, and arrives at nearly the posterior border of 

 the buttock, where it terminates in subcutaneous branches, after emitting 

 descending and ascending branches. Among the first of these, which are 

 principally destined to the gastrocnemii muscles, sometimes exists the 

 38 



