Medial circumflex femoral artery

The medial circumflex femoral artery (internal circumflex artery,[1] medial femoral circumflex artery) is an artery in the upper thigh[2] that arises from the profunda femoris artery.[1] It supplies arterial blood to several muscles in the region, as well as the femoral head and neck.

Medial circumflex femoral artery
The profunda femoris artery, femoral artery and their major branches - right thigh, anterior view. Circumflex femoral arteries labeled.
Details
Sourcedeep femoral artery, femoral artery
Suppliesthigh
Identifiers
Latinarteria circumflexa femoris medialis
TA98A12.2.16.021
TA24686
FMA20799
Anatomical terminology

Damage to the artery following a femoral neck fracture may lead to avascular necrosis (ischemic) of the femoral neck/head.[2]

Structure

Origin

The medial femoral circumflex artery arises from the posteromedial aspect of the profunda femoris artery.[1]

The medial femoral circumflex artery may occasionally arise directly from the femoral artery.

Course and relations

It winds around the medial side of the femur[1] to pass along the posterior aspect of the femur.[3] It first passes between the pectineus and the iliopsoas muscles, then between the obturator externus and the adductor brevis muscles.[1]

Branches

At the upper border of the adductor brevis it gives off two branches:[1]

Distribution

The medial femoral circumflex artery (with its branches) supplies arterial blood to several muscles, including: the adductor muscles of the hip, gracilis muscle,[1][3] pectineus muscle,[3] and external obturator muscle.[1] It delivers most of the arterial supply to the femoral head and femoral neck via branches - the posterior retinacular arteries.[4]

Clinical significance

Branches of the medial circumflex femoral artery supplying the head and neck of the femur are often torn in femoral neck fractures and in hip dislocation.[4]

See also

References

Public domain This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 630 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

  1. Gray, Henry (1918). Gray's Anatomy (20th ed.). p. 630.
  2. Mannella, P; Galeotti, R; Borrelli, M; Benea, G; Traina, G. C.; Massari, L; Chiarelli, G. M. (1986). "L'arteriografia selettiva nelle fratture della testa femorale" [Selective arteriography in femoral head fractures]. La Radiologia Medica (in Italian). 72 (6): 462–5. PMID 3715086.
  3. Swift, Hilary; Bordoni, Bruno (2022), "Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Femoral Artery", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 30855850, retrieved 2023-01-11
  4. Moore, Keith L. (2018). Clinically Oriented Anatomy. A. M. R. Agur, Arthur F., II Dalley (8th ed.). Philadelphia. p. 713. ISBN 978-1-4963-4721-3. OCLC 978362025.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

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