Arteria Profunda Femoris and Its Variations

It was observed by us in the dissection hall that arteria profunda femoris, the largest and most important branch of the femoral artery, presents a good deal of variations regarding its origin and distribution in various individuals, and this led us to the detailed study of this artery in one hundred thighs in the Anatomy Department of the Medical College, Amritsar. The usually described course of the profunda femoris artery is that, arising from the lateral aspect of the femoral artery about 4 cm. below the inguinal ligament within the femoral triangle, the artery at first runs along the femoral artery on its lateral aspect, gradually inclining medially, reaches the medial side of the femur where at the upper border of the adductor longus it gets separated from the femoral artery by passing behind this muscle. Now it inclines laterally, coming into close relationship with the linea aspera at the back of the femur, ending at the lower one-third of the thigh in a small branch which pierces the adductor magnus and anastomoses with the muscular branches of the popliteal artery in the popliteal fossa. As the artery runs down, it is lying in front of the iliacus, pectineus, adductor brevis and magnus muscles. Within the femoral triangle it is related anteriorly to the profunda vein and femoral vessels. At the apex of the femoral triangle it gets separated from its parent trunk by passing deep to the adductor longus.