Femoral artery

The femoral artery (s. Femoralis) is an extension of the external iliac artery, passes under the inguinal ligament (through the vascular lacuna) lateral to the eponymous vein, following the iliac comb downwards, being covered (in the femoral triangle) with fascia and skin only. At this point, you can feel the pulsation of the femoral artery, then the artery enters the leading channel and leaves it in the popliteal fossa.

The following branches leave the femoral artery:

1. The superficial epigastric artery (a. Epigastrica superficialis) passes through the trellis fascia into the subcutaneous tissue, then is directed upwards, to the anterior wall of the abdomen; blood supply to the lower aponeurosis of the external oblique abdominal muscle, subcutaneous tissue and skin. Being located subcutaneously, the artery reaches the navel area, where it is anastomosed with the branches of the upper epigastric artery (from the internal thoracic artery).
2. The superficial artery surrounding the iliac bone (a. Circumflexa iliaca superficialis) runs laterally parallel to the inguinal ligament to the superior anterior iliac spine, branched in adjacent muscles, skin and superficial inguinal lymph nodes. It anastomizes with the deep artery surrounding the iliac bone (from the external iliac artery) and with the ascending branch of the lateral artery surrounding the femur.
3. External genital arteries (aa. Pudendae externae, 2-3) out through the slit subcutaneous (hiatus saphenus) under the skin of the thigh and is given to the scrotum front motonochnye branches (rr. Scrotales anteriores) in men and to a great sex lip front lip branches (rr labiales anteriores) - in women.
4. The deep thigh artery (a. Profunda femoris) - the largest branch of the femoral artery, departs from its posterior semicircle, 3-4 cm below the inguinal ligament. The artery first goes laterally, then down and behind (behind the femoral artery). Leaving behind, the artery penetrates between the medial broad muscle of the thigh and the leading muscles, in which its terminal branches terminate. From the deep artery of the hip the following arteries depart:
   1. the medial artery enveloping the femur (a. Circumflexa femoris medialis) follows medially behind the femoral artery, moves deeper into the iliac-lumbar and comb-like muscles, bends around the medial side of the femoral neck and gives rise to the ascending, transverse, and deep branches. The transverse branch (r. Transversus) goes to the long and short adductor muscles, the thin and outer inhibitory muscles. The ascending branch (r. Ascendens) blood supply the muscles attached to the large trochanter of the femur. The deep branch (r. Profundus) extends posteriorly between the outer obturator and the square muscle of the thigh, gives the muscle branches to the adductor muscles and the branch of the acetabularis (r. Acetabularis), heading toward the capsule of the hip joint. The medial artery circumflexing the femur, anastomoses with the branches of the occlusal artery, the lateral artery surrounding the femur, and the right perforating artery (from the deep thigh artery);
   2. the lateral artery surrounding the femur (a. Circumflexa femoris lateralis) departs from the deep thigh artery at the very beginning, goes between the sartorius and the straight thigh muscles in front and the iliac-lumbar muscles behind. Near the large trochanter of the femur, the artery divides into an ascending and descending branch. The ascending branch (r. Ascendens) blood supply the gluteus maximus and the fascia tensor, anastomosing with the branches of the gluteal arteries. The descending branch (r. Descendens) blood supply to the tailor and quadriceps muscles. Between the lateral and intermediate broad muscles of the femur follows the knee joint, anastomoses with the branches of the popliteal artery;
   3. The perforating arteries (aa. Perforantes, first, second and third) are directed to the posterior surface of the thigh, where blood is supplied to the biceps, semisuscular and semimembranous muscles. The first perforating artery passes to the hind muscles of the hip below the comb, the second - below the short adductor muscle and the third - below the long adductor muscle. These arteries supply blood to the muscles and skin of the back of the thigh, anastomosing with the branches of the popliteal artery.
5. The descending knee artery (a. Descendens genicularis) departs from the femoral artery in the leading channel, passes to the anterior surface of the thigh through the tendon slit of the large adductor muscle along with the subcutaneous nerve, then descends to the knee joint where it participates in the formation of the knee joint network (rete articulare genus).

[1], [2], [3], [4]