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Lower limb - general

Femoral triangle

  • Located in upper medial aspect of thigh

Boundaries

  • Upper (Base) - inguinal ligament
  • Lateral - sartorius
  • Medial - adductor Longus (medial border)
  • Roof  - Skin, superficial and deep fascia
  • Floor - From medial to lateral adductor longus, pectineus and iliopsoas

Contents

  • From medial to lateral
  • Deep inguinal lymph nodes (within femoral sheath)
  • Femoral vein (and saphenous vein and it’s tributaries)
  • Femoral artery
  • Femoral nerve

Femoral sheath

  • Anterior wall continuous with the fascia transversalis
  • Posterior wall continuous with fascia iliacus
  • About 2 cms in length
  • Has three compartments
    • Medial compartment - deep inguinal lymph node
    • Intermediate compartment - femoral vein
    • Lateral compartment - femoral artery

Femoral canal

  • Medial compartment of femoral sheath is known as femoral canal

Boundaries

  • Anterior - inguinal ligament
  • Medial - lacunar ligament
  • Posterior - superior ramus of pubis and pectineal ligament
  • Lateral - femoral vein
  • Femoral hernia passes through the femoral canal and comes out of the saphenous opening

Adductor canal

  • Extends from end of femoral triangle to opening of adductor magnus
  • Also known as subsartorial canal or Hunter’s canal

Boundaries

  • Anterolateral - vastus medialis
  • Anteromedial - subsartorial fascia
  • Posterior - adductor longus above and adductor magnus below

Contents

  • Femoral artery
  • Femoral vein
  • Saphenous nerve
  • Terminal part of obturator nerve
  • Lymph vessel

Popliteal fossa

  • Lies on the posterior aspect of knee joint
  • Diamond shaped

Boundaries

  • Superolateral - biceps femoris
  • Superomedial - semitendinosus and semimembrinosus
  • Inferolateral – lateral head of gastrocnemius and plantaris
  • Inferomedial - medial head of gastrocnemius
  • Floor (From above downwards)
    • Popliteal surface of Femur
    • Capsule of knee joint
    • Popliteus
  • Roof  - skin, superficial and deep fascia

Contents

  • Popliteal artery and vein
  • Small saphenous vein
  • Common peroneal nerve
  • Tibial nerve
  • Popliteal lymph nodes

Author:  Dr Shakeeb Khan

 

 
 

Last updated: 05 January 2008

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