Dr. Ebraheim’s educational animated video describes the anatomy of the profunda femoris artery.
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Profunda Femoris Artery
The profunda femoris artery is the main blood supply of the thigh. The profunda femoris artery arises from the posterolateral aspect of the femoral artery about 4cm below the inguinal ligament. It goes medially behind the femoral artery. The profunda femoris artery crosses the pectineus muscle, and the adductor brevis muscles. It runs under the adductor longus muscle. Then it runs between the adductor magnus and the adductor longus muscles. When it reaches the adductor magnus, it gives three perforating branches, and it ends by perforating the adductor magnus as the fourth perforating branch. The perforating arteries are called “perforating” because they perforate the insertion of the adductor magnus in order to reach the back of the thigh. The first three perforating arteries are branches of the profunda femoris itself, while the fourth perforating artery is a continuation of the profunda femoris artery itself. During posterior exposure of the hip, partial section of more than 2 cm of the gluteus maximus tendon attachment on the femur can be associated with a risk of injury to the first perforating branch. The profunda femoris artery gives the medial circumflex femoral artery and the lateral circumflex femoral artery. The MCFA will give the ascending, the acetabular, and the transverse branches. The LCFA will give the ascending, the descending, and the transverse branches.