femoral artery

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Artery: Femoral artery
Structures passing behind the inguinal ligament. (Femoral artery labeled at upper right.)
Femoral artery and its major branches - right thigh, anterior view.
Latin	arteria femoralis
Gray's	subject #157 623
Supplies	anterior compartment of thigh
Source	external iliac artery
Branches	Superficial epigastric artery Superficial iliac circumflex Superficial external pudendal Deep external pudendal Deep femoral artery
Vein	femoral vein
MeSH	Femoral+Artery

The femoral artery is a large artery in the muscles of the thigh. It is a continuation of external iliac artery where it enters the femoral triangle at the mid inguinal point behind the inguinal ligament. It leaves femoral triangle through apex beneath the sartorius muscle. It enters the popliteal fossa by passing through the 5th osseo-aponeurotic(adductor hiatus) opening of adductor magnus where it becomes the Popliteal artery.

The branches of femoral artery are the descending genicular artery, profunda femoris, superficial and deep external pudendal artery, superficial epigastric and superficial circumflex iliac arteries.

Clinical significance

The femoral artery pulse can be palpated at the femoral triangle.

Typically the femoral artery can be used as an access artery due to its ease of access as compared to most major arteries. It can be catheterized to gain access to the heart for heart caths, and the implantation of stents. Additionally it can be used to access the vasculature of the brain. This has been used for several stroke procedures.

Superficial femoral artery

Some radiologists, vascular surgeons and other specialist physicians refer to the femoral artery as the "superficial femoral artery" after the profunda femoris artery branch point to differentiate the femoral artery segments before and after the branch point. This term, historically, has not been used by anatomists, and has fallen out of favour with most physicians because it has led to considerable confusion with its accompanying vein, the femoral vein, which if called "superficial femoral vein" might incorrectly be assumed to be a superficial vein, as opposed to a deep vein.

Additional images

Structures surrounding right hip-joint.	Cross-section through the middle of the thigh.	Femoral sheath laid open to show its three compartments.	The left femoral triangle.
The femoral artery.	The spermatic cord in the inguinal canal.	Front of right thigh, showing surface markings for bones, femoral artery and femoral nerve.

External links

• SUNY Labs 12:05-0101
• Cross section at UV pelvis/pelvis-e12-15
• Image at umich.edu - pulse
• Diagram at MSU