Deep femoral artery

At a glance

English

Deep femoral artery

Latin (TA2)

Arteria profunda femoris

System

Artery

Region

Lower limb

Side

Paired, left and right

About the deep femoral artery

The deep femoral artery, also called the profunda femoris or the thigh's deep artery, is the chief offshoot of the femoral artery. It leaves the back and outer side of its parent a short distance, usually around 3 to 5 cm, below the inguinal ligament, within the femoral triangle. From there it sinks towards the back of the thigh, taking a deeper course than the femoral artery and staying nearer the femur.

In its course it first lies behind the femoral artery and vein, then passes down between pectineus and adductor longus. Further on it continues behind adductor longus, which separates it from the femoral vessels in front, and comes to lie on adductor brevis and then adductor magnus. Its final part pierces adductor magnus, and this end portion is often counted as the fourth perforating artery. Unlike the femoral artery, it never leaves the thigh.

Its branches spread through all the thigh compartments. The lateral circumflex femoral artery runs out beneath sartorius and rectus femoris towards the front and outside of the thigh, and the medial circumflex femoral artery winds backwards round the medial side of the femur; both help form the arterial ring round the femoral neck. Usually three perforating arteries, plus the terminal part, pass through the adductor attachments to the back of the thigh, feeding the hamstrings and linking with each other, with gluteal vessels above and with popliteal branches behind the knee. Muscular branches also go to the adductors.

Because the profunda carries most of the blood to the thigh muscles, it acts as an important collateral route when the femoral artery is blocked lower down. Surgeons take care to preserve its origin during femoral procedures, and the medial circumflex branch matters in hip fractures because it carries much of the blood to the femoral head.

Course and supply

Arises from

Arises from the back and outer aspect of the femoral artery in the femoral triangle, a few centimetres below the inguinal ligament.

Ends in

Ends as the fourth perforating artery after piercing adductor magnus; its other branches are the lateral and medial circumflex femoral arteries, the perforating arteries and muscular branches.

Supplies

The main supply of the thigh: the adductor, hamstring and much of the extensor musculature, the femur and, through the circumflex branches, the hip joint and femoral head.