THE LOWER EXTREMITY, ANTERIOR. 561 



is a somewhat thickened band extending from the spine of 

 the pubes and the inner part of Poupart's ligament, out- 

 ward and downward under the saphenous vein to blend 

 with the pubic portion on the inner side of the opening. 

 This curved free border of the iliac portion of the fascia 

 lata is the falciform ligament or process. 



There is no band on the inner side of the opening as on 

 the outer, because the sheet of fascia (pubic portion) ex- 

 tends upward and outward, under, behind the femoral ves- 

 sels, forming an almost level plane of fascia with which the 

 falciform process blends at its lower portion. This pubic 

 portion of the fascia lata helps to form the posterior cover- 

 ing for the femoral vessels. The opening is covered over 

 by the deep layer of the superficial fascia, which is firmly 

 attached to the falciform process (outer and lower margin 

 of the opening) and but slightly to the pubic or inner mar- 

 gin of the fascia lata. 



This firm attachment of the cribriform fascia to the outer 

 and lower margin of the opening and its loose attachment 

 to the pubic portion explains (at least partially) why a 

 femoral hernia takes an upward and inward course as soon 

 as it leaves the saphenous opening. 



This covering to the saphenous opening is called the 

 cribriform fascia, because it is perforated by the internal 

 saphenous vein, superficial external pudic and superficial 

 epigastric arteries, and (sometimes) the genitocrural nerve. 



The External Cutaneous Nerve. Fig. 115. 



This will be found as it issues from under Poupart's liga- 

 ment close to the anterior superior spine of the ilium. Its 

 course is downward along the outer side of the thigh, in a 

 canal formed by the fascia lata, for four or five inches, it 

 then becomes superficial and supplies the integument of the 

 36 



