FEMORAL ARTERY

Origin
- It is the continuation of external iliac artery. It begins behind the inguinal ligament at the midinguinal point
extent and course
- passes downwards and medially
  - first in femoral canal
  - then in adductor canal
    - at the lower end
      - passes through an opening in adductor magnus
        
        to become continuous with popliteal arteery
in the femoral triangle
- relations
  - anteriorly
    - Skin, superficial fascia, deep fascia and the anterior wall of the femoral sheath.
  - posteriorly
    - Psoas major, the pectineus, and the adductor longus. The posterior w all of the femoral sheath intervenes between these structures and the artery
  - medially
    - Just below the inguinal ligament the femoral vein is medial to the artery.
    - However, the vein gradually crosses to the lateral side to lie posterior to the artery
    - it is directly behind the artery at the apex of the femoral triangle, arid lateral to the lower end of the artery
  - laterally
    - The femoral nerve is lateral to the upper part of the artery. Lower down the artery is related to the branches of the nerve.
branches
The femoral artery traverses the triangle from its base at the midinguinal point to the apex. In the triangle, it gives off six branches, three superficial and three deep branches
profunda femoris artery
deep external pudendal artery
muscular branches