Lower limb
Medial circumflex femoral artery
Arteria circumflexa femoris medialis
- Origin
- Arises from the medial aspect of the profunda femoris (or common femoral artery)
- Insertion
- Passes posteromedially between pectineus and iliopsoas to encircle the femoral neck, giving off ascending retinacular arteries
- Function
- Primary and indispensable arterial supply to the femoral head and neck
- Innervation
- Sympathetic vasomotor fibers
- Movement & chain
- Ensheathes the posterior base of the femoral neck
- Palpation
- Not palpable through deep groin and medial thigh musculature
- Clinical
- Critical vessel damaged in intracapsular femoral neck fractures and hip dislocations; disruption causes avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head
- Segmental innervation
- L2–L4 roots
- In clinical practice
- Emergency reduction and fixation of displaced femoral neck fractures in young patients is required to salvage femoral head vascularity
- Region in the model
- Lower limb