The femoral triangle is an anatomical region in the upper thigh bounded by the inguinal ligament, the adductor longus muscle, and the sartorius muscle. It contains the femoral artery, vein, and nerve. The femoral artery can be easily accessed in this region for procedures like coronary angiography. The femoral pulse can also be palpated here. Various structures like hernias, lymph nodes, and varicose veins may present clinically in the femoral triangle region.

1. Femoral Triangle

2. Femoral Triangle
• Triangular area
• Located at
superomedial one third
part of the thigh.

3. • Large neurovascular
structures pass through
this area, and can be
accessed relatively
easily.
• Thus, it is an area of
both anatomical and
clinical importance.

4. Boundaries
It is bounded by:
• 1. Superiorly by
inguinal ligament
• 2. Medially by medial
border of the adductor
longus muscle.
• 3. Laterally by medial
border of the sartorius
muscle.

5. Boundaries
• The floor of the femoral
triangle is not flat but
gutter – shaped
• Its formed from medial
to lateral:
1. Adductor longus
2. Pectineus
3. Iliopsoas
• Its roof is formed by the
fascia lata (deep fascia)

6. Contents
• Femoral artery and its
branches
• Femoral vein and its
tributaries
• Femoral nerve
• Deep inguinal lymph
nodes
• Fatty tissue

7. Femoral sheath
• A funnel- shaped sheath
• Derived from transversalis fascia anteriorly
and iliac fascia posteriorly
• It surrounds the femoral vessels and lymphatic
about 2.5cm below the inguinal ligament.

8. Femoral sheath
• Divided into three
compartments by two
fibrous septa
• Lateral compartment:
femoral a.
• Middle compartment:
femoral v.
• Medial compartment:
femoral canal

9. Femoral canal
• The femoral canal is located in most medial part of the
femoral sheath.
• It is approximately 1.3cm long.
• The femoral ring is closed by a connective tissue layer –
the femoral septum.
• This septum is pierced by the lymphatic vessels exiting
the canal. Cloquet’s node is a lymph node situated in
the femoral canal.

10. Femoral canal
• The boundaries of the femoral ring
– Anteriorly: the inguinal ligament
– Medially: the lacunar ligament
– Posteriorly: the pecten of pubis
– Laterally: the femoral vein

11. Applied Anatomy
• stab wound at the apex of the femoral triangle
may cut all the large vessels of the lower limb ,
injury to femoral vessels results in fatal
hemorrhage.
• Heavy bleeding in the leg can be stopped by
applying pressure to points in the femoral triangle
• femoral vein is commonly used for intravenous
infusions in infants

12. Clinical Relevance of
Femoral Triangle
Femoral Pulse
• Just inferior to where the femoral artery
crosses the inguinal ligament, it can be
palpated to measure the femoral pulse.
• The femoral artery crosses midway between
the pubis symphysis and anterior superior iliac
spine.

13. • The femoral pulse can be
palpated in the femoral
triangle, 2 to 3 cm inferior
to the midpoint of the
inguinal ligament.
• The head of the femur
lies posterior to the
femoral artery at this site,
making compression of
the vessel easy.

14. Clinical Relevance of
Femoral Triangle
Access to the Femoral Artery
• The femoral artery is located superficially within the femoral
triangle, and is thus easy to access. This makes it suitable for
coronary angiography.
• In coronary angiography, the femoral artery is catheterised
with a long thin tube.
• This tube is navigated up the external iliac artery, common iliac
artery, aorta, and into the coronary vessels.
• A radio-opaque dye is then injected into the coronary vessels,
and any wall thickening or blockages can be visualised via x-ray.

15. Femoral venous catheterization
Indications
• Emergency venous access during
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), in that it
provides a rapid and reliable route for the
administration of drugs to the central
circulation of the patient in cardiac arrest
• In hypotensive trauma patients

16. • Urgent or emergency hemodialysis access
• Hemoperfusion access in patients with severe
drug overdose
• Central venous pressure monitoring

17. Saphena varix
• A saphena varix is a
dilation of
the saphenous vein at
its junction with the
femoral vein in the
groin due to valvular
incompetence.

18. The varix is:
• soft and compressible
• disappears immediately
on lying down
• exhibits an expansile
cough impulse
• demonstrates a fluid
thrill
Percussion over the
saphenous vein in the
thigh produces a
transmitted impulse in
the varix above

19. Inguinal lymphadenopathy
• The horizontal group
receive lymph vessels from
lower abdomen,urethra,
external genitalia and
lower half of anal canal.
• The vertical group
receives most of the
superficial lymph vessels
of the lower limb.

20. • Lymph node swellings are common
• Benign causes include sexually transmitted
infections such as herpes simplex,
lymphogranuloma venereum, chancroid, and
syphilis, and lower extremity skin infections
• Lymphadenopathy associated malignancies are
penile and vulvar squamous cell carcinomas and
melanoma.

21. Femoral hernia
• If a loop of intestine is
forced into the femoral
ring, it expands to form a
swelling in the upper part
of the thigh. Such a
condition is known as a
femoral hernia .
• A femoral hernia is more
common in women than in
men (possibly because their
wider pelvis and femoral
canal )

22. Richter’s hernia
• Richter’s hernia is a
variant of strangulated
hernia when only part of
the circumference of the
bowel is entrapped and is
common as a
complication of femoral
hernia.
• Part of the circumference
of the bowel is entrapped