FEMORAL 579 



T?TE FEMORAL ARTERY 



The femoral artery (fig. o72) is the continuation of the external ihac, and 

 extends from the lower l)order of Poupart's ligament, down the front and inner part 

 of the thigh, to the tendinovis opening in the adductor magnus, through which it 

 passes into the popliteal space, and is then known as the popliteal. The femoral 

 artery is at first quite su})erficial, being merely covered by the skin, and superficial 

 and deep fascia; but, after thus passing about five inches (13 cm.) in a direction 

 downwards and inwards through the space known as Scarpa's triangle, it sinks at 

 the apex of that triangle beneath the sartorius muscle, and thence to its termina- 

 tion continues beneath the sartorius, coursing deeply between the vastus internus 

 and adductor muscles in the si)ace known as Hunter's canal. It at first rests upon 

 the brim of the pelvis and head of the thigh Ijone, from which it is merely sepa- 

 rated by the capsule of the hip-joint and the tendon of the psoas. Here it can be 

 readily compressed. Owing to the obliquity of the neck of the femur and the 

 direct course taken by the artery, it lies lower down only on muscles, at some little 

 distance from the bone (fig. 373). At its termination, in consequence of the shaft of 

 the femur inclining towartls the middle line of the body, the artery lies close to the 

 bone, but to the inner side. The course of the vessel when the thigh is slightly 

 fiexed and abducted — the position in which the limb is placed when the vessel is 

 ligatured — is indicated by a line drawn from a spot midway betw^een the anterior 

 su|)erior spine of the ilium and the symphysis pubis to the adductor tubercle. 

 When the thigh is in the extended position and parallel to its fellow, the course of 

 the artery will correspond to a line drawn from the spot above-mentioned to the 

 inner border of the patella. 



The artery for about the first inch and a half to two inches (4 to 5 cm. ) is known 

 as the common femoral, but at this distance from Poupart's ligament it gives off a 

 large branch called the profunda, or deep femoral. For the rest of its course it is 

 known as the superficial femoral. The superficial femoral is only superficial where 

 it lies in Scarpa's triangle — that is, for about three and a half inches (9 cm.) of its 

 course; the remainder of the artery being deeply placed in Hunter's canal, though 

 less deeply than the profunda, or deep femoral. The details of the anatomy of the 

 femoral will perhaps best be studied by considering the relations of (1) the common 

 femoral; (2) the superficial femoral as it lies in Scarpa's triangle; and (3) the 

 superficial femoral as it lies in Hunter's canal. 



(1) The relations of the common femoral artery. — In front, the common 

 femoral (fig. 372) is covered by the skin, the superficial fascia, the iliac portion of 

 the fascia lata, the crural branch of the genito-crural nerve, the superficial circumflex 

 iliac vein, and sometimes the superficial epigastric vein. The fascia transversalis, 

 which is continued downwards into the thigh beneath Poupart's ligament, is also 

 one of its anterior relations, but soon becomes indistinguishable from the sheath of 

 the vessel. 



Behind, the artery rests upon the tendon of the psoas muscle, Avhich separates 

 it from the brim of the pelvis and capsule of the hip-joint, and, a little lower, on 

 the pectineus, more or less loose fat and cellular tissue intervening. The branches 

 of the anterior crural nerve to the pectineus muscle also pass behind it. 



A similar prolongation to that derived from the fascia transversalis in front 

 descends behind the vessel from the iliac fascia; but, like the anterior prolongation 

 of fascia, soon blends with the sheath of the vessels. 



To the inner side is the femoral vein, but separated from the artery in the 

 upper part of its course by a thin layer of fascia ])assing from the continuation of 

 the iliac fascia behind the vessels, to the continuation of the f:is(>ia transversalis in 

 |ront of the vessels. 



To the outer side is the leash of nerves known as the anterior crural. These 

 are, howev(>r, separated from the artery by a few fibres of the ])soas muscle. 



(2) The relations of the superficial femoral artery in Scarpa's triangle 

 (fig. 372). — In front, the artery is covere<l by the .-^kin and by the superficial 

 and deep fascia, and is crossed'at the lower part of Scarpa's triangle by a branch 

 of the internal cutaneous nerve. The crural branch of the genito-crural nerve 



