THE LIMBS OF THE HORSE 101 



bounded by the inguinal ligament of Poupart, 1 which forms its base, 

 and the sartorius and pectineus muscles. The narrow apex of the 

 triangle is distal. Owing to the extensive development of the gracilis 

 muscle in the horse the triangle is not completely exposed until this 

 muscle has been reflected. The triangle contains the deep inguinal 

 lymph glands, the femoral vessels, and the saphenous nerve. 



A. fe.mokalis : V. FEMORALis. — The femoral artery is the direct 

 continuation of the external iliac, the arbitrary dividing line between 

 the two vessels being taken as occurring on a level with the pecten of 

 the pubis. From its origin the femoral artery, so far as it is at present 

 visible, pursues a course in the thigh that is represented by a line 

 crossing the long axis of the femur very obliquely and extending from 

 the border of the ilium, where this bone enters into the formation of 

 the acetabulum, to the vascular groove that indents the medial lip of 

 the linea aspera. The artery lies at first on the terminal part of the 

 ilio-psoas muscle, and later on the medial vastus muscle. It is covered 

 anteriorly by the sartorius, and posteriorly it is in contact with the 

 pectineus and adductor muscles. While in the femoral triangle the 

 artery is related medially to the gracilis. The termination of the vessel, 

 after it has pierced the insertion of the adductor muscle, cannot be seen 

 at present, but will be revealed at the next stage of the dissection. 



The femoral vein is a close satellite of the artery, lateral and slightly 

 posterior to which it lies in the whole of its course except where the 

 two vessels are disappearing beneath the inguinal ligament of Poupart. 

 At this point the vein is wholly posterior to the artery. 



The following are branches of the femoral artery. The vein receives 

 corresponding tributaries. 



(1) Rami musculares. — Branches of varying size are furnished by 

 the femoral artery to the muscles in the neighbourhood. 



(2) A. femoris anterior. — The anterior femoral artery leaves the 

 parent vessel close to the inguinal ligament, and follows an oblique 

 course, underneath the sartorius muscle, to enter the cleft between 

 the medial vastus and rectus femoris muscles, with the supply of which 

 it is mainly concerned. 



(3) A. saphena. — The thin saphenous artery has already been 

 examined as it lies under the skin of the thigh. Its origin within the 

 femoral triangle is now disclosed. 



(4) A. genu suprema. — The articular branch of the femoral is small, 

 and follows the groove of contact between the medial vastus and 

 adductor muscles, to terminate on the medial aspect of the femoro- 

 tibial joint. 



1 Francois Poupart, French anatomist, 1661-1709. 



