Femoral sheath
Encyclopedia
The femoral sheath is formed by a prolongation downward, behind the inguinal ligament
, of the fasciæ which line the abdomen
, the transversalis fascia
being continued down in front of the femoral vessels and the iliac fascia
behind them.
The sheath assumes the form of a short funnel, the wide end of which is directed upward, while the lower, narrow end fuses with the fascial investment of the vessels, about 4 cm. below the inguinal ligament
.
It is strengthened in front by a band termed the deep crural arch
.
The lateral wall of the sheath is vertical and is perforated by the lumboinguinal nerve
; the medial wall is directed obliquely downward and lateralward, and is pierced by the great saphenous vein
and by some lymphatic vessels.
The sheath is divided by two vertical partitions which stretch between its anterior and posterior walls.
The lateral compartment contains the femoral artery
, and the intermediate the femoral vein
, while the medial and smallest compartment is named the femoral canal
, and contains some lymphatic vessels and a lymph gland imbedded in a small amount of areolar tissue.
The femoral canal is conical and measures about 1.25 cm. in length. Its base, directed upward and named the femoral ring
, is oval in form, its long diameter being directed transversely and measuring about 1.25 cm.
The femoral ring is bounded in front by the inguinal ligament
, behind by the Pectineus covered by the pectineal fascia, medially by the crescentic base of the lacunar ligament
, and laterally by the fibrous septum on the medial side of the femoral vein
. It is through this femoral ring
, that the intestines can protrude to form femoral hernia
.
The spermatic cord
in the male and the round ligament
of the uterus
in the female lie immediately above the anterior margin of the ring, while the inferior epigastric vessels are close to its upper and lateral angle.
The femoral ring is closed by a somewhat condensed portion of the extraperitoneal fatty tissue, named the septum femorale (crural septum), the abdominal surface of which supports a small lymph gland and is covered by the parietal layer of the peritoneum
.
The septum femorale is pierced by numerous lymphatic vessels passing from the deep inguinal to the external iliac lymph glands, and the parietal peritoneum immediately above it presents a slight depression named the femoral fossa.
Inguinal ligament
The inguinal ligament is a band running from the pubic tubercle to the anterior superior iliac spine. Its anatomy is very important for operating on hernia patients.-Anatomy:...
, of the fasciæ which line the abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
, the transversalis fascia
Transversalis fascia
The transversalis fascia is a thin aponeurotic membrane which lies between the inner surface of the Transversus abdominis and the extraperitoneal fascia....
being continued down in front of the femoral vessels and the iliac fascia
Iliac fascia
The iliac fascia is a fascia in the pelvic area of the human body.It has the following connections:* laterally, to the whole length of the inner lip of the iliac crest....
behind them.
The sheath assumes the form of a short funnel, the wide end of which is directed upward, while the lower, narrow end fuses with the fascial investment of the vessels, about 4 cm. below the inguinal ligament
Inguinal ligament
The inguinal ligament is a band running from the pubic tubercle to the anterior superior iliac spine. Its anatomy is very important for operating on hernia patients.-Anatomy:...
.
It is strengthened in front by a band termed the deep crural arch
Deep crural arch
The iliopubic tract is a thickened band of fibers curving over the external iliac vessels, at the spot where they become femoral, on the abdominal side of the inguinal ligaments and loosely connected with it...
.
The lateral wall of the sheath is vertical and is perforated by the lumboinguinal nerve
Lumboinguinal nerve
The lumboinguinal nerve descends on the external iliac artery, sending a few filaments around it, and, passing beneath the inguinal ligament, enters the sheath of the femoral vessels, lying superficial and lateral to the femoral artery.It pierces the anterior layer of the sheath of the vessels and...
; the medial wall is directed obliquely downward and lateralward, and is pierced by the great saphenous vein
Great saphenous vein
The great saphenous vein , also long saphenous vein, is the large superficial vein of the leg and thigh.The terms "safaina" and "el safin" have both been claimed as the origin for the word "saphenous."-Path:The GSV originates from where the dorsal vein of the first digit...
and by some lymphatic vessels.
The sheath is divided by two vertical partitions which stretch between its anterior and posterior walls.
The lateral compartment contains the femoral artery
Femoral artery
The femoral artery is a general term comprising a few large arteries in the thigh. They begin at the inguinal ligament and end just above the knee at adductor canal or Hunter's canal traversing the extent of the femur bone....
, and the intermediate the femoral vein
Femoral vein
In the human body, the femoral vein is a blood vessel that accompanies the femoral artery in the femoral sheath. It begins at the adductor canal and is a continuation of the popliteal vein...
, while the medial and smallest compartment is named the femoral canal
Femoral canal
The femoral sheath has three compartments. The lateral compartment contains the femoral artery, the intermediate compartment contains the femoral vein, and the medial and smallest compartment is called the femoral canal. The femoral canal contains efferent lymphatic vessels and a lymph node...
, and contains some lymphatic vessels and a lymph gland imbedded in a small amount of areolar tissue.
The femoral canal is conical and measures about 1.25 cm. in length. Its base, directed upward and named the femoral ring
Femoral ring
The femoral ring is the base of the femoral canal. It is directed upward and is oval in form, its long diameter being directed transversely and measuring about 1.25 cm.-Boundaries:The femoral ring is bounded as follows:...
, is oval in form, its long diameter being directed transversely and measuring about 1.25 cm.
The femoral ring is bounded in front by the inguinal ligament
Inguinal ligament
The inguinal ligament is a band running from the pubic tubercle to the anterior superior iliac spine. Its anatomy is very important for operating on hernia patients.-Anatomy:...
, behind by the Pectineus covered by the pectineal fascia, medially by the crescentic base of the lacunar ligament
Lacunar ligament
The lacunar ligament is a ligament in the inguinal region that connects the inguinal ligament to the pectineal ligament near the point where they both insert on the pubic tubercle.-Anatomy:...
, and laterally by the fibrous septum on the medial side of the femoral vein
Femoral vein
In the human body, the femoral vein is a blood vessel that accompanies the femoral artery in the femoral sheath. It begins at the adductor canal and is a continuation of the popliteal vein...
. It is through this femoral ring
Femoral ring
The femoral ring is the base of the femoral canal. It is directed upward and is oval in form, its long diameter being directed transversely and measuring about 1.25 cm.-Boundaries:The femoral ring is bounded as follows:...
, that the intestines can protrude to form femoral hernia
Femoral hernia
A hernia is caused by the protrusion of a viscus through a weakness in the containing wall. This weakness may be inherent, as in the case of inguinal, femoral and umbilical hernias. On the other hand, the weakness may be caused by surgical incision through the muscles of the abdominal/thoracic wall...
.
The spermatic cord
Spermatic cord
The spermatic cord is the name given to the cord-like structure in males formed by the ductus deferens and surrounding tissue that run from the abdomen down to each testicle.-Contents of spermatic cord:...
in the male and the round ligament
Round ligament
In human anatomy, the term round ligament can refer to several structures:* Round ligament of uterus, also known as the ligamentum teres uteri...
of the uterus
Uterus
The uterus or womb is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals including humans. One end, the cervix, opens into the vagina, while the other is connected to one or both fallopian tubes, depending on the species...
in the female lie immediately above the anterior margin of the ring, while the inferior epigastric vessels are close to its upper and lateral angle.
The femoral ring is closed by a somewhat condensed portion of the extraperitoneal fatty tissue, named the septum femorale (crural septum), the abdominal surface of which supports a small lymph gland and is covered by the parietal layer of the peritoneum
Peritoneum
The peritoneum is the serous membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity or the coelom — it covers most of the intra-abdominal organs — in amniotes and some invertebrates...
.
The septum femorale is pierced by numerous lymphatic vessels passing from the deep inguinal to the external iliac lymph glands, and the parietal peritoneum immediately above it presents a slight depression named the femoral fossa.