Femoral artery

Right thigh, previous view. Scheme of the femoral artery and other derivative arteries.

The femoral artery is the main artery supplying the lower extremity, originating as a continuation of the external iliac artery.

Path

It begins at the femoral triangle, or Scarpa's triangle, along with the femoral vein and femoral nerve, behind the inguinal ligament (usually near the head of the femur), where the external iliac artery becomes known as the external iliac artery. femoral artery, which initially runs through the anterior part of the thigh. In this segment, it is also called the common femoral artery (arteria femoralis communis), which leaves the femoral triangle through an apex below the sartorius muscle, and gives off the profunda femoris artery, which gives circumflex recurrent branches that run from posterior to anterior, supplying the head of the femur. After branching off the profunda femoris, it is now called superficial femoral artery (arteria femoralis superficialis) in clinical jargon, due to its superficial trajectory. It continues its course up the front of the thigh, along the femur, to supply blood to the arteries around the knee and foot, and then backwards to enter the adductor canal (a gap between the muscles of the thigh). The adductors, also called Hunter's canal, is formed laterally by the vastus medialis muscle; posteriorly by the adductor magnus muscle; anteriorly and medially by the vastadductor septum perforated by the passage of the descending knee artery and the saphenous nerve). After leaving the said duct through the adductor hiatus, and already in the popliteal region (behind the knee), in the adductor duct, it is called the popliteal artery.

Dissection of femoral triangle highlighting right femoral artery

Branches

According to the Dorland Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary of Medicine, 27th Edition, its branches are:

• Surface or superficial epigastric artery abdominal subcutaneous.
• Arteria couldnda external superficial or upper outer.
• Arteria couldnda external deep or lower external.
• Artery descending from the knee or anastomotic magna.
• Accessory arteries of the quadriceps.
• Deep femoral artery.
• Arteria circumfleja iliaca superficial

Branches in Anatomical Terminology

Anatomical Terminology lists the following branches:

A12.2.16.011 Surface epigastric artery (superficialis epigastric artery).

A12.2.16.012 Arteria circumfleja ilíaca superficial (circumflexa iliaca superficialis).

A12.2.16.013 Arteria was able external surface (exterior surface).

A12.2.16.014 (deep external hardware).

• A12.2.16.015 Previous labial branches of the artery could go deep external (arami labiales previous arteriae couldndae externale profounde). ())
• A12.2.16.015 Previous scrotal branches of the artery deep external (rami scrotals previous arteriae couldndae externale profounde). ())
• A12.2.16.016 Inguinal branches of the artery deep external (rami inguinales arteriae couldndae externale profounde).

A12.2.16.017 Artery descending from the knee (arteria descenden genus).

• A12.2.16.018 Safena branch of the descending artery of the knee (ramus saphenus arteriae descendentis genus).
• A12.2.16.019 Joint branches of the descending artery of the knee (rami arteriae descendentis genus).

A12.2.16.020 Deep femoral artery (deep femist).

A12.2.16.021 Arteria circumfleja femoral medial (circumflexa femoris medialis).

• A12.2.16.022 Surface branch of the medial femoral artery (ramus superficialis arteriae circumflexae femoris medialis).
• A12.2.16.023 Deep branch of the medial femoral artery (ramus profundus arteriae circumflexae femoris).
• A12.2.16.024 Acetabular branch of the medial femoral artery (ramus acetabularis arteriae circumflexae femoris).
• A12.2.16.025 An ascending branch of the medial femoral artery (ramus ascendens arteriae circumflexae femoris medialis).
• A12.2.16.026 descending branch of the medial femoral artery (ramus descendens arteriae circumflexae femoris medialis).

A12.2.16.027 Artery lateral femoral circle (circumflexa femoris lateralis).

• A12.2.16.028 ascending branch of the lateral femoral artery (ramus ascendens arteriae circumflexae femoris lateralis).
• A12.2.16.029 descending branch of the lateral femoral circumflex artery (ramus descendens arteriae circumflexae femoris lateralis).
• A12.2.16.030 Transverse branch of the lateral femoral artery (ramus transversus arteriae circumflexae femoris lateralis).

A12.2.16.031 Drilling arteries (arteriae perforantens).

• A12.2.16.032 Arteries of the femur (arteriae femori nutrients; arteriae nutriciae femoris).

Distribution

It is distributed to the lower portion of the abdominal wall, the external genitalia, and the lower extremity (upper portion of the thigh, knee, and lower leg). It is continuous with the popliteal artery.

Clinical significance

Because the femoral artery can often be felt through the skin, it is often used as an access artery for catheters. From it, guidewires and catheters can be directed to any part of the arterial system for intervention or diagnosis, including the heart, brain, kidneys, and upper and lower limbs. The direction of the needle with which the artery is punctured should be against the blood flow (retrograde) in case of intervention and diagnosis performed towards the heart or the opposite leg, or with the flow (antegrade or ipsilateral) for diagnosis and intervention on the same leg. Access through the left or right femoral artery is possible, and depends on the type of intervention or diagnosis.

The femoral artery is susceptible to peripheral vascular disease. When blocked by atherosclerosis, percutaneous intervention with access from the opposite femoral artery may be necessary. Endarteriectomy (written in some sources as "endarterectomy"), a surgical procedure consisting of the detachment and removal of atheromatous plaque from the femoral artery, is also common.

The femoral artery may be used to draw arterial blood when blood pressure is so low that the radial or brachial arteries cannot be located.

The optimal site for palpation of the femoral pulse is the inner thigh, at the mid-inguinal point, halfway between the symphysis pubis and the anterior superior iliac spine. The presence of the femoral pulse has been estimated to indicate a systolic blood pressure of more than 50 mmHg, a figure reached by the 50th percentile.

Additional images

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  Structures surrounding the right hip joint.

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  Cross section of the middle part of the thigh.

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  Open femoral pod to show your three compartments.

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  Left femoral triangle.

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  Femoral artery.

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  Spermatic cord in the inguinal duct.

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  Right thigh seen from front, showing the surface marks of the bones, the femoral artery and the femoral nerve.

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  Femoral artery and its main branches - right thigh, previous view.

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  Femoral artery in a dissection.

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  Femoral artery in a dissection.

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  Femoral artery in a dissection.