FEMORAL HERNIA. 



57 



FEMORAL HERNIA. 



A femoral hernia leaves the abdomen at the groin, passing beneath Poupart's 

 ligament, and over the anterior border of the hip-bone immediately at the inner side 

 of the femoral vessels. It takes a downward course through the innermost com- 

 partment of the femoral sheath till it reaches the saphenous opening, when it turns 

 forwards through the opening towards the front of the thigh, and is then bent upwards 

 in the groin. 



iliac fascia 



I 



Poupart's ligament 



pectineal fascia 



I 



! Gimbernat's ligament 

 ! 



-. ! 



- -,,.'' / outer pillar 



'; /.'."<':/ inner pillar 



Fig. 26. POUPART'S LIGAMENT AND THE NEIGHBOURING FASCIAE IN RELATION TO THE HIP-BONE. 



(G. D. T.) 



The space between Poupart's ligament and the hip-bone is seen to be subdivided into three com- 

 partments by the fascise. Anteriorly is the vascular compartment, and posteriorly are the two 

 muscular compartments the larger one externally occupied by the ilio-psoas, and the smaller one 

 internally occupied by the upper end of the pectineus : the two are separated by * the ilio-pectineal 

 intermuscular septum attached to the ilio-pectineal eminence. 



The concave ilio-pubic margin of the hip-bone is bridged across in the recent 

 state by Poupart's ligament or the (superficial) femoral arch (ligamentum mguinale), 

 extending from the anterior superior iliac spine to the pubic spine. The intervening 

 space, which is somewhat diminished at the internal angle by Gimbernat's ligament 

 (ligamentum lacunare), is mainly occupied by the ilio-psoas muscle and the external 

 iliac vessels on their way into the thigh, and the upper end of the pectineus muscle. 



