The adductor canal is a tunnel located in the medial thigh that contains major blood vessels and nerves. It begins at the femoral triangle and terminates at the adductor hiatus. The canal is bound anteriorly by the subsartorial fascia and sartorius muscle, laterally by the vastus medialis muscle, and posteromedially by the adductor longus and adductor magnus muscles. It contains the femoral artery and vein, the nerve to the vastus medialis, and the saphenous nerve.

1. The Adductor Canal

2. The Adductor Canal
Also known as
- Hunter’s canal
- Subsartorial canal

3. Trough shaped
intermuscular tunnel
Lies in the medial
aspect of the distal
thigh
The Adductor Canal

4. Starts at the apex of
the Femoral Triangle
The Adductor Canal

5. Adductor Canal
Femoral Triangle
The Adductor Canal

6. Terminates at a gap in the
Adductor Magnus Muscle
called the
Adductor Hiatus
The Adductor Canal

7. Boundaries of the Adductor Canal

8. Anteriorly – Subsartorial
Fascia with overlying
Sartorius
medial
lateral
Cadaver specimen of thigh
Boundaries of the Adductor Canal

9. Boundaries of the Adductor Canal
Anteriorly – Subsartorial
Fascia with overlying
Sartorius

10. Anteriorly – Subsartorial Fascia with
overlying Sartorius
Laterally – Vastus Medialis
medial
lateral
Cadaver specimen of thigh
Boundaries of the Adductor Canal

11. Boundaries of the Adductor Canal
Anteriorly – Subsartorial Fascia with
overlying Sartorius
Laterally – Vastus Medialis

12. Anteriorly – Subsartorial Fascia
with overlying Sartorius
Laterally – Vastus Medialis
Posteromedially
– Adductor Longus (superiorly)
medial
lateral
Cadaver specimen of thigh
Boundaries of the Adductor Canal

13. Boundaries of the Adductor Canal
Anteriorly – Subsartorial Fascia
with overlying Sartorius
Laterally – Vastus Medialis
Posteromedially
– Adductor Longus (superiorly)

14. Anteriorly – Subsartorial Fascia
with overlying Sartorius
Laterally – Vastus Medialis
Posteromedially
- Adductor Longus
- Adductor Magnus (inferiorly)
medial
lateral
Cadaver specimen of thigh
Boundaries of the Adductor Canal

15. Boundaries of the Adductor Canal
Anteriorly – Subsartorial Fascia
with overlying Sartorius
Laterally – Vastus Medialis
Posteromedially
- Adductor Longus
- Adductor Magnus (inferiorly)

16. Boundaries of the
Adductor Canal
Anteriorly
– Subsartorial Fascia with
overlying Sartorius
Laterally
– Vastus Medialis
Posteromedially
- Adductor Longus (superiorly)
- Adductor Magnus (inferiorly)

17. Contents of the
Adductor Canal

18. Contents of the Adductor Canal
Femoral Artery

19. Femoral Artery
Femoral Vein
Contents of the Adductor Canal

20. Femoral Artery lies
anterior to the Femoral
Vein in the Adductor Canal
Contents of the Adductor Canal

21. Femoral Artery
Femoral Vein
Nerve to Vastus Medialis
Contents of the Adductor Canal

22. Femoral Artery
Femoral Vein
Nerve to Vastus Medialis
Saphenous Nerve
Contents of the Adductor Canal

23. Femoral Artery
Femoral Vein
Nerve to Vastus Medialis
Saphenous Nerve
Contents of the Adductor Canal