Colocasia Esculenta

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.

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]

References

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

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Gray, Henry (1918). Gray's Anatomy (20th ed.). p. 630.
^ ^a ^b 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.
^ ^a ^b ^c 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
^ ^a ^b 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)

Additional images

Medial circumflex femoral artery

External links

Medial femoral circumflex artery at the Duke University Health System's Orthopedics program
Anatomy figure: 12:04-06 at Human Anatomy Online, SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Arteries of the lower extremity shown in association with major landmarks."

[:02-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Gray, Henry (1918). Gray's Anatomy (20th ed.). p. 630.

[:0-2] 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.

[:2-3] 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

[:1-4] 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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