Corpus: Femoral artery

The femoral artery is a direct continuation of the external iliac artery.

The origin of the femoral artery lies immediately behind the inguinal ligament, approximately in the center of the imaginary line between the anterior superior iliac spine and the symphysis. There it leaves the pelvis through the lacuna vasorum and runs between the adductor longus muscle and the vastus medialis muscle distally into the adductor canal. It then runs through the adductor hiatus into the popliteal fossa and is now called the popliteal artery.

In the upper part of the course of the vessel, the femoral artery lies ventral to the hip joint, in the lower part on the medial side of the femoral shaft.

• Superficial epigastric artery
• Superficial circumflex iliac artery
• External pudendal arteries
  • Superficial external pudendal artery
  • Deep external pudendal artery
• Deep femoral artery
• Descending genicular artery

In vascular surgery, the section of the femoral artery between the exit point of the profunda femoral artery and the popliteal fossa is referred to as the superficial femoral artery. This is in order to distinguish it more clearly from the deep branch. The term "common femoral artery" is then also used for the cranial branch.

The femoral artery is of particular clinical importance as it is a common access site for a left heart catheter.