The lateral circumflex femoral artery (lateral femoral circumflex artery, external circumflex artery) is an artery

Artery

Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. This blood is normally oxygenated, exceptions made for the pulmonary and umbilical arteries....

 in the upper thigh.

Structure

The lateral femoral circumflex artery arises from the lateral side of 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.-Structure:...

, passes horizontally between the divisions of the femoral nerve

Femoral nerve

The femoral nerve, the largest branch of the lumbar plexus, arises from the dorsal divisions of the ventral rami of the second, third, and fourth lumbar nerves...

, and behind the sartorius

Sartorius muscle

The Sartorius muscle – the longest muscle in the human body – is a long thin muscle that runs down the length of the thigh. Its upper portion forms the lateral border of the femoral triangle.-Origin and insertion:...

 and rectus femoris, and divides into ascending, transverse, and descending

Descending branch of lateral circumflex femoral artery

The descending branch of lateral circumflex femoral artery runs downward, behind the rectus femoris, upon the vastus lateralis, to which it gives offsets; one long branch descends in the muscle as far as the knee, and anastomoses with the superior lateral genicular artery. It is accompanied by the...

 branches. The lateral femoral circumflex artery may occasionally arise directly from the femoral artery

Femoral artery

The femoral artery is a general term comprising a few large arteries in the thigh. They begin at the inguinal ligament and end just above the knee at adductor canal or Hunter's canal traversing the extent of the femur bone....

.

External links

- "Arteries of the lower extremity shown in association with major landmarks."