Description

This video covers the anatomy, course, and side branches of the Femoral Artery (A. Femoralis), a major artery supplying the lower limb.

Course of the Femoral Artery:

• Passes through the Vascular Space (Lacuna Vasorum).
• Enters the Femoral Triangle, which is bordered by:
  • Sartorius (lateral border)
  • Adductor Longus (medial border)
  • Iliopsoas and Pectineus (floor of the triangle)
• Travels within the Adductor Canal (Hunter’s Canal).
• Exits the canal behind the knee via the Adductor Hiatus, becoming the Popliteal Artery (A. Poplitea).

Side Branches of the Femoral Artery:

Superficial Branches:

• Superficial Circumflex Iliac Artery (A. Circumflexa Ilium Superficialis): Supplies the superficial inguinal region.
• Superficial Epigastric Artery (A. Epigastrica Superficialis): Supplies the lower abdominal wall.
• External Pudendal Artery (Aa. Pudendae Externae): Supplies the external genitalia.

Deep Branches:

• Deep Femoral Artery (A. Profunda Femoris): The main branch supplying deep structures of the thigh.
  • Perforating Arteries (Aa. Perforantes): Pierce the adductor muscles and supply the posterior compartment of the thigh.
  • Lateral Circumflex Femoral Artery (A. Circumflexa Femoris Lateralis): Divides into:
    • Ascending Branch: Supplies the anterior hip region.
    • Transverse Branch: Contributes to the cruciate anastomosis.
    • Descending Branch: Supplies the lateral thigh and knee.
  • Medial Femoral Circumflex Artery (A. Circumflexa Femoris Medialis): Important for blood supply to the femoral head.
• Descending Genicular Artery (A. Descendens Genus): Supplies the knee joint and surrounding structures.

Clinical Relevance:

• Femoral Pulse: Easily palpable in the femoral triangle, used for clinical assessments.
• Femoral Artery Cannulation: Common site for catheterization procedures.
• Avascular Necrosis Risk: Damage to the Medial Femoral Circumflex Artery can lead to femoral head necrosis.

Sources Used:

• Memorix Anatomy (2nd Edition) – Hudák Radovan, Kachlík David, Volný Ondřej.
• Complete Anatomy by 3D4Medical.
• Biorender.
• University Notes and Lectures.

Transcript

Introduction
0:00
hello and welcome to another video in
0:01
this video we’re going to look at the
0:03
femoral artery
0:04
now the femoral artery is a large artery
0:06
in the thigh
0:07
and the main arterial blood supply to
0:09
the thigh and the leg
0:11
it enters the thigh from behind the
0:13
inguinal ligament
0:14
in a canal called the vascular space or
0:16
the lacuna vasodium in latin
0:18
and guess the name the femoral artery
0:20
only after it passes the vascular
0:22
space so first i’ll try to cover the
0:25
course of this artery as in
0:27
where it starts and ends and then i’ll
0:30
cover the branches
Course
0:31
now as it passes the vascular space it
0:35
enters the femoral triangle
0:37
and here’s a better representation of it
0:39
the thermal triangle
0:40
is formed by the sartorius muscle and
0:42
the adductor longus
0:44
and within the canal you will find the
0:46
femoral artery
0:48
passing between the pectineus and the
0:50
iliopsoas muscles
0:52
and so this is the femoral triangle as
0:55
the femoral artery is relatively
0:57
superficial within the femoral triangle
0:59
the femoral pulse is usually easily
1:01
palpated
1:02
and if the pulse is diminished this is
1:05
this may
1:05
may indicate partial occlusion of the
1:08
common iliac artery
1:09
or the external ilic artery and since
1:12
the femoral artery can often be palpa
1:15
palpated through the skin it is often
1:17
used as a
1:18
as a catiture axis artery meaning they
1:21
insert the wires
1:22
against the bloodstream to then be
1:24
directed anywhere in the arterial system
1:26
for investigation or diagnosis
1:28
including the heart brain kidneys and
1:31
arms and legs
1:33
so it’s a really useful place in the
1:35
clinical perspective
1:36
now as the artery passes the femoral
1:39
triangle
1:40
it descends and goes through the
1:42
adductor canal
1:43
and if we make a cross-section you will
1:45
find the artery going between the
1:47
abductor longus
1:48
sartorius and the vastus medialis to
1:50
then leave the canal at the lower
1:52
orifice
1:53
and continue as the popliteal artery
1:55
behind the knee
Side Branches
1:57
now that was the course of the artery
2:00
let’s cover the side branches
2:02
there are really two categories we
2:03
divide the side branches in the
2:05
superficial ones
2:06
and the deep ones there are really three
Superficial Branches
2:08
superficial arteries
2:10
there’s a superficial circumflex artery
2:12
going along the inguinal ligament to the
2:14
lateral side to supply the skin and the
2:15
fascia
2:16
then there’s a superficial epigastric
2:18
artery which ascends in the in front of
2:21
the inguinal
2:22
ligament and finishes in the region of
2:25
the navel
2:26
isoplastic skin below the uh the navel
2:29
the subcutaneous tissue and the fascia
2:31
of the anterior wall of the abdominal
2:32
cavity
2:33
below the umbilicus then there’s the
2:36
external pudendal artery
2:38
supplying the external genitals now
2:40
let’s visualize this arteries in a
2:42
different scheme
2:43
here on the left is the superficial
2:45
layer of the thorax
2:46
then if we remove a few muscles we will
2:49
see the
2:50
d player represented in the right side
2:52
now remember
2:53
on the d players there’s the subclavian
2:55
artery giving off the internal
2:57
thoracic artery which supplies the
2:59
muscles between the ribs through the
3:00
intercostal branches
3:02
and then it divides into the
3:04
musculophenic and the superior
3:06
epigastric artery at the region of the
3:08
seventh rib inferiorly there’s the
3:11
external iliac artery
3:12
giving off the inferior epigastric
3:14
artery
3:15
so here you see the superfish superior
3:18
and the inferior epigastric arteries
3:20
connect
3:21
then superficially however here you see
3:24
the femoral artery
3:25
with the superficial circumflex artery
3:28
here going to the lateral side to supply
3:30
the skin and the fascia
3:32
then the superficial epigastric artery
3:35
which
3:35
as you see here ascends to the region of
3:37
the navel to supply the lower part of
3:40
the skin
3:40
the subcutaneous tissue and the fascia
3:43
of the anterior wall of the abdominal
3:44
cavity below the umbilicus
3:47
then there’s the external potential
3:49
artery supplying the external genitals
3:51
so that was the external branches
Deep Branches
3:55
now let’s cover the deep branches of the
3:57
femoral artery
3:58
there were two there are two deep side
4:01
branches of the femoral artery
4:02
the first one is a deep femoral artery
4:05
which leaves the femoral artery at
4:07
about three to four centimeters below
4:09
the inguinal ligaments
4:11
and then the sense behind the femoral
4:13
artery and supplies the muscles of the
4:15
thigh
4:16
and then as it descends it gives off
4:18
small side branches called the
4:20
perforating branches in theory there
4:23
should be three perforating branches
4:24
which
4:25
pierce the medial muscles of the thigh
4:28
and runs
4:28
posteriorly to supply the posterior
4:31
muscles of the thigh
4:33
then there’s the lateral circumflex
4:35
artery going anteriorly
4:37
and then divides into three branches to
4:39
supply the muscles of the anterior
4:41
compartment of the thigh
4:43
the ascending branch will communicate
4:45
with the other
4:46
side branch of the d femoral artery the
4:49
medial femoral circumflex artery
4:51
which supplies the medial muscles of the
4:54
thigh and forma
4:55
an anesthetic connection form around the
4:58
hip
4:58
joint to supply it then lastly
5:01
there’s the descending nicular artery
5:04
which descends
5:05
towards the knee and take part in
5:07
forming the patellar network to supply
5:09
the knee joints
5:11
so that was all i had for the femoral
5:13
artery
5:14
my next video will be about the arterial
5:16
blood supply of the knee