Medial circumflex femoral artery
Blood vessel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 | |
| Source | Deep femoral artery, femoral artery |
| Supplies | Thigh |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | arteria circumflexa femoris medialis |
| TA98 | A12.2.16.021 |
| TA2 | 4686 |
| FMA | 20799 |
| 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.[citation needed]
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]
- The ascending branch
- The descending branch descends beneath the adductor brevis, to supply it and the adductor magnus; the continuation of the vessel passes backward and divides into superficial, deep, and acetabular branches.
- The superficial branch
- The deep branch
- The acetabular branch
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]
