Femoral triangle and

its contents
Dr.A.Sharmila
Prof and head
Anatomy
CHRI
AN15.1
• Describe and demonstrate origin, course, relations,
branches (or tributaries), and termination of important
nerves and vessels of anterior thigh
AN15.3,15.4
• Describe and demonstrate boundaries, floor, roof, and
contents of femoral triangle
• Chapter includes femoral triangle, femoral nerve,
femoral artery, and femoral vein
Medical Council of India, Competency based Undergraduate curriculum for the Indian Medical Graduate,
2018. Vol. 1; pg 1-80.
2
SLO
• Discuss the boundaries of femoral triangle
• Describe the content of femoral triangle
• Describe the femoral sheath and its derivatives
• Describe the occurrence of femoral hernia with respect to anatomical
layers of abdomen
• Describe the various types of F.Hernia
• Differentiate F.hernia and inguinal hernia

3
 FEMORAL TRIANGLE
Q. Describe boundaries
and contents of femoral
triangle
 Triangular subfascial
space on front of upper
one-third of thigh just
below inguinal ligament
 Boundaries, Roof, and
Boundaries
Floor
• Triangular
• Has apex, base, medial and
lateral boundaries, roof,
and floor
• Base: Inguinal
ligament
• Medial: Medial border of
adductor longus
• Lateral: Medial border of
sartorius
• Apex: Meeting point of
 Boundaries, Roof, and
Floor Floor
• Gutter-shaped and formed by
four muscles from lateral to
medial
• Iliacus
• Psoas major
• Pectineus
• Adductor longus
Roof
• Formed by
• Skin
• Superficial fascia
• Deep fascia (fascia lata)
Superficial fascia in roof of femoral triangle contains
following
• Inguinal lymph nodes
• Femoral branch of genitofemoral nerve
• Branches of ilioinguinal nerve
• Superficial branches of femoral artery and
accompanying veins
• Part of great saphenous veins
Deep fascia forming roof of femoral triangle include
• Saphenous opening – gives passage to great
saphenous vein.
• Cribriform fascia – gives passage to various vessels
 Contents of femoral
triangle
Q. List contents of femoral triangle
• Are as follows
• Femoral artery and its branches
• Femoral vein and its tributaries
• Femoral nerve
• Deep inguinal nodes
• Lateral cutaneous nerve of thigh
• Femoral branch of genitofemoral nerve
• Femoral sheath
• Fibrofatty tissue
Femoral artery
• Extends downward and medially
in femoral triangle from
midinguinal point to apex of
triangle
Gives following branches in
femoral triangle
• 3 superficial branches:
• Superficial epigastric artery
• Superficial circumflex iliac
artery
• Superficial external pudendal
Femoral artery
• 3 deep branches
• Profunda femoris artery
• Deep external pudendal
artery
• Muscular artery
• Profunda femoris – largest
branch of femoral artery
Femoral vein
• Lies on medial side of femoral
artery at base of triangle and
posteromedial to femoral artery
of apex
Tributaries of femoral vein
includes
• Great saphenous vein
• Profunda femoris vein
• Medial circumflex femoral vein
• Lateral circumflex femoral vein
• Deep external pudendal vein
Femoral nerve
• Lies lateral to femoral artery,
outside femoral sheath
• Lies between iliacus and
psoas major muscles
Femoral branch of genitofemoral nerve
(crural branch)
• Lies in lateral compartment of
femoral sheath along with femoral
artery
• Pierces anterior layer of femoral
sheath and fascia lata to supply skin
Lateral cutaneous nerve of thigh
• Branch of lumbar plexus
• Enters femoral triangle deep to
inguinal ligament, just medial to
anterior superior iliac spine
Lateral cutaneous nerve of thigh
 Supplies skin of anterolateral aspect
of thigh and lateral support of
gluteal region
Deep inguinal nodes
 3–5 deep nodes medial to femoral
vein under cribriform fascia
 Deep nodes lie in femoral canal –
called gland of Cloquet or nodes of
Rosenmüller
• Vertical part of superficial inguinal
lymph nodes lie along upper part of
great saphenous vein
 FEMORAL
SHEATH
Q. Write short note on femoral sheath
• Fascial sleeve enclosing upper part of
femoral vessels in femoral triangle
• Shape: Funnel-shaped; broad end
directed upward

Formation
• Derived from downward prolongation of
two fascias from abdomen to thigh
• Anterior wall of sheath – extension of
fascia transversalis of anterior
abdominal wall
• Posterior wall of sheath – formed by
fascia iliac covers iliacus muscle
 FEMORAL
Termination SHEATH
• Inferiorly blends with
tunica adventitia of femoral
vessels and disappears
• Lower margin of femoral
sheath is ill-defined
Compartment and
contents
• Divided into three
compartments by medial
and lateral septa
(anteroposteriorly running)
 FEMORAL
Compartment andSHEATH
contents
• Lateral compartment
• Contains femoral artery and
femoral branch of
genitofemoral nerve
• Intermediate compartment
• Contains femoral vein
• Medial compartment (femoral
canal)
• Contains lymph node of
Cloquet or Rosenmüller
Clinical Integration
• Femoral hernia
 Femoral
Q. Write short note on femoral
canal
canal
• Medial compartment of femoral
sheath
• Laterally, separated from
intermediate compartment of
femoral sheath with femoral vein
by medial septum
Shape
• Conical-shaped
• Wide (base) superiorly and
narrow inferiorly
Dimensions
• Length: 1.5 cm
 Femoral
Base (femoral ring)
canal
• Called femoral ring
• Boundaries of femoral ring
• Anterior: Inguinal ligament
• Posterior: Pectineus
muscle
• Medial: Lacunar ligament
• Lateral: Medial septum
separating femoral canal
and intermediate
compartment of femoral
sheath
 Femoral
Femoral septum canal
• Condensation of extraperitoneal connective tissue closes
femoral ring
Femoral fossa
• Depression of parietal peritoneum overlies femoral ring
Content of femoral canal
• Lymph node of Cloquet or Rosenmüller
• Loose connective tissue
Clinical Integration
• Femoral hernia: Protrusion of abdominal contents into
femoral canal
 Femoral
Definition Hernia
• Herniation of content abdomen through femoral
canal
• Femoral canal – medial compartment of femoral
sheath
• More common in females due to wider femoral canal
and smaller femoral vessels
• Common in adults than children and never
congenital
Composition of hernia
• Consists of coverings and loop of intestine,
 Femoral Hernia
Course of femoral hernia
• First femoral hernia passes downward through
femoral canal then forward through saphenous
opening and then upward along superficial
epigastric vessels
• Downward → forward → upward
• For reduction of femoral hernia, reverse course
should be followed
 Femoral
Hernia
Classification of femoral hernia
• Reducible femoral hernia
• When contents of hernia can be pushed back into
abdominal cavity
• Irreducible femoral hernia
• When hernia cannot be pushed back due to
adhesion between wall of hernia sac and contents
• Obstructed femoral hernia
• When part of intestine in hernial sac gets
obstructed due to twisting or constriction
 Femoral
Hernia
Classification of femoral hernia
• Strangulated femoral hernia –
• When there – loss of blood supply to herniated
intestinal part requires surgical correction to
widen femoral ring and reduce hernia
Footnote
• Reduction of hernia in their normal anatomical
position
• Can be done manually or surgically based on type of
hernia
Difference between Inguinal and
F.Hernia

36
Thank
you…