Vessel
Femoral vein
Deep venous return through the thigh
High-yield
Just below the inguinal ligament, the vein lies medial to the femoral artery inside the femoral sheath. It belongs to the deep venous system; the older name ‘superficial femoral vein’ is misleading.
Overview
The femoral vein continues upward from the popliteal vein at the adductor hiatus. It travels through the adductor canal and femoral triangle, receives major thigh and superficial tributaries, and becomes the external iliac vein beneath the inguinal ligament.
Reference facts
- Origin
- Upward continuation of the popliteal vein at the adductor hiatus
- Course
- Ascends through the adductor canal and femoral triangle beside the artery, changing its relation along the way; the short femoral sheath encloses its most proximal thigh segment
- Branches
- Receives the deep femoral vein, great saphenous vein and muscular tributaries; circumflex venous drainage can join directly or through the deep femoral vein
- Supplies
- Carries returning blood from the lower limb rather than supplying an arterial territory
- Drains to
- Continues as the external iliac vein after passing deep to the inguinal ligament
Mnemonic
At the upper femoral triangle, move inward from the femoral nerve to artery, then vein, then the lymphatic tissue of the femoral canal. The nerve stays outside the sheath.
Clinical correlation
A femoral-vein clot is a deep-vein thrombosis and can lead to pulmonary embolism if clot material travels to the lungs. Leg swelling and pain may occur, but their absence does not rule out a clot; some deep-vein thromboses cause no noticeable symptoms.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the femoral vein originate?
The femoral vein arises from the upward continuation of the popliteal vein at the adductor hiatus.
What does the femoral vein supply?
The femoral vein supplies the carries returning blood from the lower limb rather than supplying an arterial territory.
Where does the femoral vein drain to?
The femoral vein drains to the continues as the external iliac vein after passing deep to the inguinal ligament.
What are the branches of the femoral vein?
Receives the deep femoral vein, great saphenous vein and muscular tributaries; circumflex venous drainage can join directly or through the deep femoral vein.