The Thigh. 331 



sule of the hip joint; lower down, it rests on the pectineus 

 muscle, being separated from it by some fatty tissue. In- 

 side, is the femoral vein, and outside, is the anterior crural 

 nerve. The superficial femoral is superficial, only, while 

 contained in Scarpa's triangle, since, below this, it is 

 covered by the sartorius. It has, in front of it, the integu- 

 ment, superficial and deep fasciae, and a branch of the in- 

 ternal cutaneous nerve crossing it near the apex of the tri- 

 angle. Behind, it has the pectineus, being separated, near 

 the lower end of Scarpa's triangle, from the muscle, % the 

 following structures in the order named : Femoral vein, 

 profunda vein and profunda artery. Lower down, it lies on 

 the upper part of the adductor longus muscle. On the outer 

 side, is the long saphenous nerve and the nerve to the 

 vastus internus. Inside, is the femoral vein, above, 

 although, as the apex of the triangle is approached, this 

 vein gradually gets behind the artery. This portion of 

 the superficial femoral is about three and a half inches in 

 length, while the rest of the vessel, viz., that contained in 

 Hunter's canal, is about five inches long. Hunter's canal 

 is a triangular-shaped space bounded by the vastus inter- 

 nus, externally, the adductor longus and magnus, internal- 

 ly, while, in front, is an aponeurosis, which stretches across 

 from these boundaries and consists of transverse fibres 

 especially marked over the lower part of the canal. Trie 

 artery has in front of it, in this situation, the integument, 

 superficial and deep fasciae, the sartorius, the aponeurotic 

 covering of the canal and the long saphenous nerve lying 

 in front and to its outer side. Behind, it rests on the angle 

 of junction of the vastus internus and the adductors, be- 

 ing separated from them by the vein, which gradually be- 

 comes a little external to the artery at the lower end of the 

 canal. The profunda is the nutrient vessel for the thigh 

 and arises from the outer side of the common femoral. 



