236 THE INFERIOR EXTREMITY 



of the patella. (2) The subfascial prepatellar bursa, situated 

 between the fascia lata superficially and the proximal part of 

 the patella and the adjacent part of the tendon of the 

 quadriceps deeply ; this bursa may be displayed by an incision 

 made through the fascia lata in the area indicated. (3) The 

 subtendinous prepatellar bursa, lying between the superficial 

 fibres of the tendon of the quadriceps and the periosteum of 

 the anterior surface of the patella. (4) The suprapatellar bursa. 

 This lies proximal to the patella, behind the tendon of the 

 quadriceps and in front of the distal part of the anterior 

 surface of the femur it usually communicates with the 

 cavity of the knee joint. (5) The subcutaneous infra- 

 patellar bursa, placed directly beneath the skin, anterior to the 

 proximal part of the ligamentum patellae. (6) The deep infra- 

 patellar bursa, which is placed between the ligamentum 

 patellae and the anterior surface of the proximal part of the 

 tibia. The suprapatellar bursa and the deep infrapatellar 

 bursae are practically always present, but one or more of the 

 subcutaneous and subfascial bursse may be absent. Not un- 

 commonly a subfascial and an adjacent subcutaneous bursa 

 may communicate through an aperture in the deep fascia. 

 The subcutaneous bursae are often destroyed during the 

 reflection of the skin, but the deeper bursae can usually be 

 found, if looked for carefully, in the situations mentioned 

 above. 



DEEP DISSECTION OF THE ANTERIOR AND MEDIAL 

 PARTS OF THE THIGH. 



In the course of the deep dissection of the anterior and 

 medial femoral regions the following structures will be met 

 with and must be examined : 



1. The femoral sheath. 



2. Nervus lumboinguinalis. 



3. Nervus cutaneus femoris lateralis. 



4. M. sartorius. 



5. Nervus femoralis and its rami. 



6. Arteria femoralis and its rami. 



7. Vena femoralis. 



8. M. ilio-psoas. 



M. rectus femoris. 



M. vastus medialis. 



