Vessel
Femoral artery
Major arterial channel through the thigh toward the knee
High-yield
Near the inguinal ligament, the artery lies between the femoral nerve laterally and vein medially. The artery and vein enter the femoral sheath; the nerve remains outside it.
Overview
The femoral artery continues from the external iliac artery beneath the inguinal ligament. After giving off the deep femoral artery, its main channel travels through the thigh and becomes the popliteal artery beyond the adductor hiatus.
Reference facts
- Origin
- Continuation of the external iliac artery at the inguinal ligament
- Course
- Femoral triangle → adductor canal → adductor hiatus, beyond which it is named the popliteal artery
- Branches
- Deep femoral, superficial epigastric, superficial circumflex iliac, external pudendal, muscular and descending genicular branches; origins can vary
- Supplies
- Thigh tissues directly and the leg and foot through its continuing arterial branches
Mnemonic
Across the upper femoral triangle, go from nerve to artery to vein, then the femoral canal containing lymphatic tissue. Read that order from lateral to medial.
Clinical correlation
The common femoral artery is used for many catheter-based procedures, alongside other access routes such as the radial artery. Its branching level and surface relationships vary, so clinicians use anatomical assessment and often imaging to choose access safely.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the femoral artery originate?
The femoral artery arises from the continuation of the external iliac artery at the inguinal ligament.
What does the femoral artery supply?
The femoral artery supplies the thigh tissues directly and the leg and foot through its continuing arterial branches.
What are the branches of the femoral artery?
Deep femoral, superficial epigastric, superficial circumflex iliac, external pudendal, muscular and descending genicular branches; origins can vary.
What is the course of the femoral artery?
Femoral triangle → adductor canal → adductor hiatus, beyond which it is named the popliteal artery.