Trunk vessels (aorta, vena cava, abdominal branches)
Femoral artery
Arteria femoralis
- Origin
- Continuation of the external iliac artery beneath the inguinal ligament through the vascular lacuna
- Insertion
- Traverses the femoral triangle and adductor canal to become the popliteal artery at the adductor hiatus
- Function
- Primary arterial conduit supplying oxygenated blood to the thigh, leg, and foot
- Innervation
- Sympathetic postganglionic vasomotor fibers from the femoral nerve and lumbar sympathetic trunk
- Movement & chain
- Crosses anterior to the hip joint; stretched during hip extension and relaxed during flexion
- Palpation
- Strongly palpable in the femoral triangle midway between the anterior superior iliac spine and pubic symphysis (femoral pulse)
- Clinical
- Peripheral artery disease (intermittent claudication), femoral pseudoaneurysm post-catheterization, major site for endovascular access
- Segmental innervation
- L2–L4 spinal segments
- In clinical practice
- Primary manual compression point for catastrophic lower extremity hemorrhage; standard entry site for coronary angiography and TAVI
- Region in the model
- Trunk vessels (aorta, vena cava, abdominal branches)