The femoral triangle is a triangular depression in the upper thigh bounded laterally by the sartorius muscle, medially by the adductor longus muscle, and at its base by the inguinal ligament. It contains the femoral artery and vein as well as the femoral nerve. The femoral sheath encloses the femoral vessels in three compartments - lateral arterial, intermediate venous, and medial lymphatic/femoral canal compartments. The femoral canal is a conical passage located medially that contains lymph nodes and drains the genitals. The femoral triangle and its structures are clinically important as sites for hernias, nerve injuries, and arterial access.

1. FEMORAL TRIANGLE
Dr. Kovid Pandey

2. • Femoral triangle is a triangular
depressionon the front of the
upper one third of the thigh
immediately below the inguinal
ligament.

3. Boundaries
• laterally- medial border of the
sartorius
• medially -medial border of the
adductor longus
• base - inguinal ligament
• apex
• -directed downward ,
• - point where the medial and
lateral boundaries cross.

4. Roof
• Skin
• superficial fascia containing
• - superficial inguinal lymph nodes,
• - branches of illoinguinal nerve,
• - superficial branches of femoral artery and accompanying veins,
• - upper part of the great saphenous vein.
• Deep fascia- including cribriform fascia ( covering the saphenous
opening)

5. Floor
• Medially - adductor longus
• - pectineus
• Laterally - psoas major
• - illacus

6. Content
• Femoral artery and its branches
• Femoral vein and its tributaries
• Femoral sheath enclosing femoral
vessel
• Nerves:-
• -femoral nerve
• - nerve to pectineus
• - femoral branch of genitofemoral
nerve
• - lateral cutaneous nerve of thigh
• Deep inguinal lymph node

7. Femoral sheath
• funnel shaped sleeve of fascia
• 3-4 cm covering the femoral
vessel
• asymmetrical
• boundaries
• - anteriorly - fascia
transversalis
• - posteriorly - fascia illacus
• - lateral wall is oblique
• - medial wall is oblique
being directed downward and
laterally.

8. • sheath is divided into the
folowing three compartment by
septa
• lateral or arterial compartment
-femoral artery and femroal
branch of genitofemoral ne
• intermediate or venous
compartment
-femoral vein
• medial or lymphatic
compartment
-smallest of all
- also called femoral canal

9. Femoral canal
• medial compartment of the femoral sheath.
• conical in shape
-wide above or at the base (upper end is called femoral ring)
-narrow below
• 1.5 cm long
• 1.5 cm wide

10. Femoral ring boundaries
• anteriorly- inguinal ligament
• posteriorly- pectineus and its fascia
• medially - lacunar ligament
• laterally - septum

11. Content of femoral canal
• lymph node of cloquet or Rosenmuller
• lymphatics
• small amount of areolar tissue
• Lymph node drains the glans penis in males and clitoris in females.

12. Clinical
• Femoral hernia- femoral canal is an area of potential weakness in the
anterior abdominal wall thrgh which abdominal conent may bulge out
forming a femoral hernia.
• Injury to femoral nerve results in sensory loss on the anterior aspect
of the thigh and front of the leg including medial border of the foot
till the ball of big toe
• Meralgia paraesthtica - pain in the lateral cutaneous of the thigh
• femoral artery is used for palpation and embalming .