The femoral vessels are those blood vessels passing through the femoral ring into the femoral canal[1] thereby passing down the length of the thigh until behind the knee. These large vessel are the:
- Femoral artery (also known in this location as the common femoral artery) and
- Femoral vein
Lymphatic vessels found in the thigh aren’t usually included in this collective noun.
As the blood vessels pass along the thigh, they branch, with their main branches remaining closely associated, where they are still referred to collectively as femoral vessels.[2][3]
The adjective femoral, in this case, relates to the thigh, which contains the femur.
The relative position of these two large vessels is very important in medicine and surgery, because several medical interventions involve puncturing one or the other of them.[4][5] Reliably distinguishing between them is therefore important. The location of the vessel is also used as an anatomical landmark for the femoral nerve.
References
edit- ^ Ranson, FT (7 April 1934). "Injuries to Femoral Vessels During Hernia Operations". British Medical Journal. 1 (3822): 618–9. doi:10.1136/bmj.1.3822.618. PMC 2444809. PMID 20778178.
- ^ Gordon, S (7 April 1883). "Aneurysm of both Popliteal Arteries: Cure by Ligature of the Femoral Arteries: At Three Years' Interval: Death from Malignant Disease of the Stomach Thirteen Years Later: Dissection of Femoral Vessels". British Medical Journal. 1 (1162): 661. doi:10.1136/bmj.1.1162.661. PMC 2372320. PMID 20750567.
- ^ Goodman, C (July 1914). "Arteriovenous Anastomosis of the Femoral Vessels for Impending Gangrene". Annals of Surgery. 60 (1): 62–87. doi:10.1097/00000658-191407000-00008. PMC 1406387. PMID 17863219.
- ^ Purdue, GF; Hunt, JL (1986). "Vascular access through the femoral vessels: indications and complications". The Journal of Burn Care & Rehabilitation. 7 (6): 498–500. doi:10.1097/00004630-198611000-00011. PMID 3429482.
- ^ Mazzitelli, D; Guenzinger, R; Schreiber, C; Tassani-Prell, P; Lange, R (July 2008). "Percutaneous cannulation of the femoral vessels for cardiopulmonary bypass". Herz. 33 (5): 374–6. doi:10.1007/s00059-008-3043-2. PMID 18773158.