Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Medial circumflex femoral artery

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Supplies
  
thigh

TA
  
A12.2.16.021

Dorlands/Elsevier
  
a_61/12153896

FMA
  
20799

Medial circumflex femoral artery

Source
  
deep femoral artery, femoral artery

Latin
  
arteria circumflexa femoris medialis

The medial circumflex femoral artery (internal circumflex artery, medial femoral circumflex artery) is an artery in the upper thigh that helps supply blood to the neck of the femur. Damage to the artery following a femoral neck fracture may lead to avascular necrosis (ischemic) of the femoral neck/head.

Contents

Structure

The medial femoral circumflex artery arises from the medial and posterior aspect of the profunda femoris artery, and winds around the medial side of the femur, passing first between the pectineus and iliopsoas muscles, and then between the obturator externus and the adductor brevis muscles.

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

Branches

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

  • 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

    • References

    Medial circumflex femoral artery Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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