The femoral triangle is bounded superiorly by the inguinal ligament, laterally by the sartorius muscle, and medially by the adductor longus muscle. It contains the femoral nerve, femoral vessels, and lymph nodes. The adductor canal deep to the sartorius contains the femoral vessels and saphenous nerve. The femoral sheath encloses the femoral artery laterally, femoral vein medially, and femoral canal medially containing loose tissue and lymph nodes. Femoral hernias occur through the femoral ring in the canal.

1. FEMORAL TRIANGLE
Dr. Sobia Islam

2. Objectives
 I expect after attending this session, that the students
will be able to describe:
 Anatomy of femoral triangle
 Adductor canal: site, boundaries and contents.
 Femoral sheath
 Femoral canal
 Femoral hernia – and other related applied aspects

3. Femoral triangle
Is a triangular depression
on the front of upper part of
the thigh immediately below
the inguinal ligament

4. BOUNDARIES
 Superiorly: Inguinal ligament
 Laterally: Sartorius muscle
 Medially: Adductor longus muscle
 Floor: Gutter shaped and formed
from lateral to medial by the
iliopsoas,
 the pectineus, and the adductor
longus
 Roof: Skin and fasciae of the thigh

5. CONTENTS
 Femoral nerve and its terminal
branches
 Femoral sheath
 Femoral artery and its branches
 Femoral vein and its tributaries
 Deep inguinal lymph nodes

6. Adductor canal
The adductor canal is an
intermuscular cleft situated
on the medial aspect of the
middle third of the thigh
deep to the sartorius muscle

7. Contents of adductor canal
 Terminal part of the femoral artery
 Femoral vein
 Deep lymph vessels
 Saphenous nerve, the nerve to the
vastus medialis, and the terminal
part
of the obturator nerve

8. Femoral sheath
Femoral sheath is a downward protrusion of the fascial
lining of the abdominal walls into the thigh.

9.  Divided into three
compartments by two
fibrous septa
 Lateral compartment:
femoral a.
 Middle compartment:
femoral v.
 Medial compartment:
femoral canal

10. Femoral canal
 About 1.3cm long , and its upper
opening is called the femoral ring
 Content: a little loose fatty tissue, a
small lymph node of CLOQUET and
some lymph vessels.

11. Femoral ring- the boundaries
 – Anteriorly: the inguinal
ligament
 – Medially: the lacunar ligament
 – Posteriorly: the pecten of
pubis
 – Laterally: the femoral vein
 – Superior: covered by femoral
 septum

12. Femoral hernia

13. FEMORAL ARTERY
• Is the continuation of external iliac
artery
• It traverses the triangle from its
base at the mid inguinal point to
the apex
• Passes downwards and medially,
first in femoral triangle and then in
adductor canal
• Then passes through an opening
in adductor Magnus to become
continuous with popliteal artery

14. FEMORAL
ARTERY-
BRANCHES

15. PROFUNDA FEMORAL ARTERY
 Arises from the
posterolateral surface of the
femoral artery about 5 cm
below the inguinal ligament.
 Branches:
 Lateral circumflex
artery.
 Medial circumflex
artery.
 Perforating arteries

18. Femoral artery catheterization

19. FEMORAL VEIN
ORIGIN
Begins as an upward continuation of the
popliteal vein at the lower end of adductor
canal.
TERMINATION
Ends by becoming continuous with the
external iliac vein behind the inguinal
ligament
COURSE
Accompanies the femoral artery, the vein
is medial to artery in the base of the triangle
ends at lower end of adductor canal.

20. FEMORAL VEIN-tributaries
• Great sephenous vein
• Veins accompanying three
superficial branches of femoral
artery in femoral triangle
• Deep external pudendal and
muscular Lateral and medial
circumflex femoral veins
• Descending genicular
• Muscular veins in adductor
canal.

21. Femoral Nerve
 Arises from the lumbar plexus in
the abdomen and enters the thigh
posterior to the inguinal ligament
and lateral to the femoral artery.
 It ends by dividing into a number
of branches 2 cm below the
inguinal ligament.
 Muscular branches to:
pectineus, sartorius, quadriceps
femoris

22. FEMORAL NERVE-BRANCHES