THE FEMORAL ARTERY. 489 



wards and inwards, passing in the male over the spermatic cord, to fce distributed to 

 bhe integument on the lower part of the abdomen and on the external organs of 

 generation. The inferior branch, more deeply seated, runs inwards on the surface 

 of the pectineus and adductor longus muscles (occasionally beneath the latter), to 

 both of which it furnishes branches, and, piercing the fascia lata at the inner border 

 of the thigh, is distributed to the scrotum in the male, to the labium in the female. 

 The external pudic arteries anastomose with each other, with the superficial perineal 

 artery, and with the cremasteric branch of the deep epigastric artery. 



3. The superficial epigastric artery, arising from the femoral about half an 

 inch below Poupart's ligament, passes forwards through the fascia lata (sometimes 

 through the upper part of the saphenous opening) and runs upwards on the abdomen 

 in the superficial fascia covering the external oblique muscle. Its branches, 

 ascending nearly as high as the umbilicus, anastomose with superficial branches of 

 the deep epigastric artery. 



4. The superficial circumflex iliac artery, frequently arising in common 

 with the superficial epigastric, runs outwards across the iliacus muscle, in the direc- 

 tion of Poupart's ligament, towards the iliac crest. It gives small twigs to the 

 iliacus and sartorius muscles, anastomosing with the deep circumflex iliac artery, and 

 other branches which perforate the fascia lata and supply the integument of the hip. 



All the preceding arteries give small branches to the lymphatic glands in the 

 groin. 



5. The deep femoral or profuuda artery (ii), the principal nutrient vessel of 

 the thigh, usually arises from the outer and back part of the femoral, about an inch 

 and a half below Poupart's ligament. It is directed at first somewhat outwards, in 

 front of the iliacus muscle, so as to be visible for a short distance external to the con- 

 tinuation of the femoral trunk ; then inclining inwards and slightly backwards, it 

 descends behind that vessel, and between the adductor longus and magnus muscles 

 near their femoral attachments. Giving off numerous branches on its way down- 

 wards, the profunda diminishes rapidly in size ; and it terminates, at the junction 

 of the middle and lower thirds of the thigh, as a small vessel which pierces the 

 adductor magnus, and is known as the lowest perforating artery. 



This artery lies successively in front of the iliacus, pectineus., adductor brevis, 

 and adductor magnus muscles. The femoral and profunda veins and the adductor 

 longus muscle are interposed between it and the superficial femoral trunk. 



Branches. The named branches of the deep femoral artery are the external and 

 internal circumflex, and the perforating arteries. Other less regular offsets pass to 

 the vastus internus, and to the adductor muscles. 



A. The external circumflex artery (iii-iv), the largest of the branches, arises 

 from the outer side of the profunda near its commencement. Passing outwards for 

 a short distance beneath the sartorius and rectus muscles, and between the divisions 

 of the anterior crural nerve, it gives offsets to the neighbouring muscles, and ends 

 by dividing into the three following branches : 



(a) The ascending branch runs upwards beneath the tensor vaginae femoris, sup- 

 plies that muscle and the fore parts of the gluteus medius and minimus, and anasto- 

 moses with the terminal branches of the gluteal artery, as well as with offsets of the 

 deep circumflex iliac. One branch passes up under cover of the rectus muscle, and 

 is distributed to the hip-joint. 



(#) The transverse branch, the smallest of the three, is directed outwards over 

 the crureus, and divides into two or three branches which enter the vastus externus 

 muscle on its deep surface, and anastomose with the upper perforating arteries. 



(c) The descending branch, much larger than the others, sends its offsets down- 

 wards to the rectus, vastus externus and crureus muscles, anastomosing in the last 

 with the inferior perforating arteries. One or two of the lowest branches reach 



