Neurovascular Structures of the Thigh

Question 1

The neurovascular structures of the anterior aspect of the lower limb enter through what?

Answer 1

The femoral canal

Question 2

What is the equivalent of the axilla in the lower limb?

Answer 2

The femoral triangle

Like the axilla it has structures which make up its floor, roof and boundaries with a number of anatomically important contents passing through this area heading distally.

Question 3

What si the medial boundary of the femoral triangle?

Answer 3

Medial border of the adductor longus muscle

Question 4

What is the lateral boundary of the femoral triangle?

Answer 4

Medial border of the sartorius muscle.

Question 5

Which structure forms the base of the femoral triangle?

Answer 5

Inguinal ligament

Question 6

Which muscles form the vast proportion of the floor of the femoral triangle

Answer 6

Pectineus
Adductor longus

Question 7

What are the 3 major structures present in the femoral triangle?

Answer 7

1 Femoral nerve 2 Femoral artery 3 Femoral vein

Question 8

What is the femoral sheath?

Answer 8

Funnel shaped connective tissue tube which surrounds the proximal parts of femoral vessels (but not the nerve)

Creates the femoral canal medial to them, which contains lymphatic vessels.

Question 9

The femoral sheath is loosely divided into 3 compartments:

Answer 9

Lateral- Femoral artery

Intermediate- Femoral vein

Medial- Femoral canal

Question 10

Answer 10

Question 11

What are the contents of the femoral canal?

Answer 11

1. Fat and loose connective tissue
2. Lymphtic vessels

Question 12

What is the femoral ring?

Answer 12

The femoral ring is a weak area in the anterior abdominal wall.

Similar to inguinal hernias, activities that increase intra-abdominal pressure can cause abdominal contents to push into this area and become trapped.

Question 13

Are there more common in males or females?

Answer 13

Females

Question 14

What is the femoral artery?

Answer 14

Main artery of the lower limb

Question 15

What does the femoral artery begin at?

Answer 15

The inguinal ligament as a continuation of the External Iliac artery.

Question 16

Femoral artery enters the thigh midway between which 2 bony surface markings?

Answer 16

anterior superior iliac spine

and pubic symphsis

Question 17

The profunda femoris is what?

Answer 17

Deep artery

Question 18

The femoral vein is a continuation of what?

Answer 18

Popiteal vein (veins start distally!), and passes proximally entering the femoral triangle and becoming the external iliac vein as it passes under the inguinal ligament

Question 19

Which two important veins drain into it in the femoral triangle?

Answer 19

Profunda femoris

Greater sapheous vein

Question 20

What is the femoral nerve?

Answer 20

The femoral nerve is the largest branch of the lumbar plexus

Question 21

The femoral nerve passes deep to?

Answer 21

The inguinal ligament and enters the femoral triangle lateral to the femoral vessels.

Question 22

What do the neurovascular structures of the anterior thigh do as they pass distally towards the apex of the femoral triangle?

Answer 22

They begin to pass deep through the musculature called in a fascial sheath called the adductor canal.

Question 23

What does the adductor canal extend to?

Answer 23

This extends deeper and distal until it reaches an anatomical opening in the adductor magnus muscle called the adductor hiatus.

Question 24

What does the journey of the adductor canal allow?

Answer 24

Allowed the anterior femoral artery to become the posterior popliteal artery.