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Femoral vein
 
 
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In the human body
Human body

The human body is the entire physical and mental structure of a human organism, and consists of a head, neck, torso, two arms and two legs.By the time the human reaches adulthood, the body consists of close to 10 trillion Cell , the basic unit of life....
, the femoral vein is a blood vessel that accompanies the femoral
Femoral artery

The femoral artery is a large artery in the muscles of the thigh....
 artery
Artery

Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. All arteries, with the exception of the pulmonary and umbilical arteries, carry oxygenated blood....
 in the femoral sheath
Femoral sheath

The femoral sheath is formed by a prolongation downward, behind the inguinal ligament, of the fasci? which line the abdomen, the transversalis fascia being continued down in front of the femoral vessels and the iliac fascia behind them....
. It begins at the adductor canal
Adductor canal

The adductor canal is an aponeurotic tunnel in the middle third of the thigh, extending from the apex of the femoral triangle to the opening in the Adductor magnus, the Adductor hiatus....
 (also known as Hunter's canal) and is a continuation of the popliteal vein
Popliteal vein

The popliteal vein course runs alongside the popliteal artery but carries the blood from the knee joint and muscles in the thigh and calf back to the heart....
. It ends at the inferior margin of the inguinal ligament
Inguinal ligament

The inguinal ligament is a band running from the pubic tubercle to the anterior superior iliac spine. Its anatomy is very important for operating on hernia patients....
, where it becomes the external iliac vein
External iliac vein

The external iliac veins are large veins that connect the femoral veins to the common iliac veins. Their origin is at the inferior margin of the inguinal ligaments and they terminate when they join the internal iliac veins ....
.

ral large vein
Vein

In the circulatory system, veins are blood vessels that carry blood toward the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary vein and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated blood....
s drain into the femoral vein:

usion of the femoral vein can be life-threatening.

The practice of delivering recreational drugs
Recreational drug use

Recreational drug use is the use of psychoactive drugs for recreational purposes rather than for employment, Medicine or Spirituality purposes, although the distinction is not always clear ....
 intravenously using the femoral vein is relatively common amongst injecting drug users (IDUs).

term superficial femoral vein is not recognized as a legitimate anatomic term.

However, some specialist physicians (e.g.






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Encyclopedia


In the human body
Human body

The human body is the entire physical and mental structure of a human organism, and consists of a head, neck, torso, two arms and two legs.By the time the human reaches adulthood, the body consists of close to 10 trillion Cell , the basic unit of life....
, the femoral vein is a blood vessel that accompanies the femoral
Femoral artery

The femoral artery is a large artery in the muscles of the thigh....
 artery
Artery

Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. All arteries, with the exception of the pulmonary and umbilical arteries, carry oxygenated blood....
 in the femoral sheath
Femoral sheath

The femoral sheath is formed by a prolongation downward, behind the inguinal ligament, of the fasci? which line the abdomen, the transversalis fascia being continued down in front of the femoral vessels and the iliac fascia behind them....
. It begins at the adductor canal
Adductor canal

The adductor canal is an aponeurotic tunnel in the middle third of the thigh, extending from the apex of the femoral triangle to the opening in the Adductor magnus, the Adductor hiatus....
 (also known as Hunter's canal) and is a continuation of the popliteal vein
Popliteal vein

The popliteal vein course runs alongside the popliteal artery but carries the blood from the knee joint and muscles in the thigh and calf back to the heart....
. It ends at the inferior margin of the inguinal ligament
Inguinal ligament

The inguinal ligament is a band running from the pubic tubercle to the anterior superior iliac spine. Its anatomy is very important for operating on hernia patients....
, where it becomes the external iliac vein
External iliac vein

The external iliac veins are large veins that connect the femoral veins to the common iliac veins. Their origin is at the inferior margin of the inguinal ligaments and they terminate when they join the internal iliac veins ....
.

Drainage

Several large vein
Vein

In the circulatory system, veins are blood vessels that carry blood toward the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary vein and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated blood....
s drain into the femoral vein:
  • popliteal vein
    Popliteal vein

    The popliteal vein course runs alongside the popliteal artery but carries the blood from the knee joint and muscles in the thigh and calf back to the heart....
  • profunda femoris vein
    Profunda femoris vein

    Profunda femoris vein is a large deep vein in the thigh.Its course runs alongside of the profunda femoris artery and it drains into the femoral vein....
  • great saphenous vein
    Great saphenous vein

    The great saphenous vein , also greater saphenous vein, is the large superficial vein of the leg and thigh. Generally, when the origin of the word saphenous is discussed, most affirm that the term derives from the Greek word safaina, which means ?evident.? The ancient Greeks knew only the caudal portion of the vein, and neither the Gr...


Clinical significance

Occlusion of the femoral vein can be life-threatening.

The practice of delivering recreational drugs
Recreational drug use

Recreational drug use is the use of psychoactive drugs for recreational purposes rather than for employment, Medicine or Spirituality purposes, although the distinction is not always clear ....
 intravenously using the femoral vein is relatively common amongst injecting drug users (IDUs).

Use of the term superficial femoral vein

The term superficial femoral vein is not recognized as a legitimate anatomic term.

However, some specialist physicians (e.g. radiologists, and orthopaedic/vascular surgeons) use the term superficial femoral vein for the distal part of the femoral vein to:
  1. differentiate the femoral vein segments before and after the profunda femoris vein joins with it, and
  2. differentiate the distal segment of the femoral vein from the deep femoral vein (profunda femoris vein
    Profunda femoris vein

    Profunda femoris vein is a large deep vein in the thigh.Its course runs alongside of the profunda femoris artery and it drains into the femoral vein....
    ), which is paired with the profunda femoris artery
    Profunda femoris artery

    The profunda femoris artery is a branch of the femoral artery that, as its name suggests, travels more deeply than the rest of the femoral artery....
    .


Usage of this term is discouraged by many physician
Physician

A physician, medical practitioner, doctor of medicine, or medical doctor practices medicine, and is concerned with maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease and injury....
s and especially amongst medical students because it leads to confusion among general medical practitioners.

The femoral vein is considered a deep vein
Deep vein

Deep vein is a term used to describe a vein that is deep in the body. It is used to differentiate deep veins from veins which are close to the surface, also known as superficial veins....
, unlike the adjective superficial suggests and has led some physicians to falsely conclude it is a superficial vein
Superficial vein

Superficial vein is a term used to describe a vein that is close to the surface of the body. It is used to differentiate veins that are close to the surface from veins that are far from the surface, known as deep veins....
, which has resulted in patients (with deep vein thrombosis
Deep vein thrombosis

In medicine, deep vein thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein. It is a form of thrombophlebitis .Deep vein thrombosis commonly affects the leg veins or the deep veins of the pelvis....
) being denied efficacious anticoagulant or thrombolytic therapy.

Additional images


External links

- "The Arteries of the Lower Extremity" - "Veins of the lower extremity shown in association with major landmarks."