Adductor canal

Question 1

What is the adductor canal?

Answer 1

The adductor canal (Hunter’s canal, subsartorial canal) is a narrow conical tunnel located in the thigh.

It is approximately 15cm long, extending from the apex of the femoral triangle to the adductor hiatus of the adductor magnus. The canal serves as a passageway from structures moving between the anterior thigh and posterior leg.

Question 2

What form the anteromedial border

Answer 2

Sartorius

Question 3

What forms the lateral border?

Answer 3

Vastus Medialis

Question 4

What forms the posterior border?

Answer 4

Adductor longus and adductor magnus.

Question 5

What are its contents?

Answer 5

femoral artery,
femoral vein (posterior to the artery),
nerve to the vastus medialis
saphenous nerve – the largest cutaneous branch of the femoral nerve.

Question 6

What is an adductor canal block?

Answer 6

adductor canal block, local anaesthetic is administered in the adductor canal to block the saphenous nerve in isolation, or together with the nerve to the vastus medialis.

The block can be used to provide sensory anaesthesia for procedures involving the distal thigh and femur, knee and lower leg on the medial side. The sartorius and femoral artery are used as anatomical landmarks to locate the saphenous nerve

Question 7

What is Adductor Canal Compression Syndrome

Answer 7

entrapment of the neurovascular bundle within the adductor canal. A rare condition, it is usually caused by hypertrophy of adjacent muscles such as vastus medialis.

It is most common in young males, who may present with claudication symptoms due to femoral artery occlusion (more common) or neurological symptoms due to entrapment of the saphenous nerve.