ANTERIOR FEMORAL REGION. 223 



DISSECTION VIII. 



ANTERIOR FEMORAL REGION. 



In studying the anatomy of femoral hernia, the superficial struc- 

 tures of the anterior femoral region have, in part, been examined. 

 The incision of the skin may now be carried down the front of the 

 thigh to the knee, and the integument reflected; several cutaneous 

 nerves will be exposed by this process. 



The CUTANEOUS NERVES are branches of the external 

 cutaneous, genito-crural and crural nerves, all being 

 ranches of the lumbar plexus. The external cutaneous 

 rierces the deep fascia just below the anterior superior 

 >inous process of the ilium, and is distributed to the 

 (tegument of the anterior part of the gluteal region and 

 outside of the thigh. The crural branch of the genito- 

 ural nerve is small in size, and, emerging from the sheath 

 >f the femoral artery, is distributed to the anterior aspect 

 )f the thigh. The crural nerve, appearing just below 

 "'oupart's ligament from between the psoas and iliacus 

 mscles, divides into two branches. One of them, deeper 

 than the other, subdivides to supply the muscles on the 

 fore part of the thigh and the pectineus muscle on the 

 inside. The other division is composed of cutaneous 

 branches, distributed to the integument of the anterior 

 aspect of the thigh as far down as the patella. The largest 

 of these branches is called the long saphena nerve; this 

 accompanies the femoral artery on its outer side, and at 

 the opening in the tendon of the adductor magnus muscle, 

 leaving the artery and passing beneath the sartorius mus- 

 cle, becomes subcutaneous and descends the inner side of 

 the leg to the inner border of the foot. 



The internal saphena vein, especially if distended with 

 blood, will be easily traced, in its superficial course, from 

 the inside of the foot, along the inner border of the leg, 

 behind the inner condyle, upward to the saphenous open- 

 ing. This vessel affords an excellent opportunity to exa- 

 mine the venous values ; they are formed from the internal 

 lining membrane, and are usualty in pairs, and of a semi- 

 lunar shape ; their situation is indicated externally b}' the 

 dilatation of the vessel above them. 



Upon the outside of the thigh the deep fascia, or fascia 

 lata, will be found to become more aponeurotic, and, at its 



