258 THE INFERIOR EXTREMITY 



posterior division of that nerve and runs distally at first on the 

 lateral side of the femoral artery. In the adductor canal it 

 crosses in front of the femoral artery. It emerges from the 

 distal end of the canal by passing under cover of the thickened 

 border of the fibrous expansion which stretches between the 

 vastus medialis and the adductor muscles, and, accompanied 

 by the saphenous branch of the arteria genu suprema, it 

 escapes from under cover of the sartorius, passing between 

 it and the tendon of the gracilis. Then it pierces the 

 deep fascia at the medial side of the knee. After it quits 

 the adductor canal it gives off the infrapatellar branch^ which 

 pierces the sartorius and appears on the surface of the fascia 

 lata on the medial side of the knee (Fig. 107). 



Several large branches of the posterior part of the 

 femoral nerve enter the four segments which compose the 

 great quadriceps extensor muscle of the thigh. From some 

 of the branches, articular filaments are given either to the hip 

 or to the knee joint. 



The branch to the rectus femoris sinks into the deep surface 

 of that muscle. It supplies an articular twig to the hip joint. 

 The large branch to the vastus medialis accompanies the 

 saphenous nerve and enters the proximal part of the adductor 

 canal. It can readily be distinguished, because it sinks 

 into the medial aspect of the vastus medialis, about the 

 middle of the thigh. In the substance of the muscle it 

 extends distally, and near the knee joins the articular branch 

 of the arteria genu suprema. It gives an articular nerve 

 to the synovial layer of the knee joint. The nerve to the 

 vastus lateralis is associated with the descending branch of the 

 lateral circumflex artery. Very frequently it gives an articular 

 twig to the knee joint. The nerves to the vastus intermedius 

 are two or three in number, and they sink into its anterior 

 surface. The most medial of them is a long slender nerve, 

 which can be traced distally, under the anterior border of the 

 vastus medialis, to the articular muscle of the knee. Its 

 terminal twigs are given to the synovial stratum of the 

 knee joint. 



Thus, one filament from the femoral nerve goes to the 

 hip joint ; two, and frequently three, filaments go to the 

 knee joint. 



Tractus Ilio-tibialis of the Fascia Lata (O.T. Ilio-tibial 

 Band). The thick band of fascia lata on the lateral aspect 



