Clinical anatomy of deep femoral vessels in the area of femoral triangle

Kalinin R.E., Suchkov I.A., Klimentova E.A., Shanaev I.N.

I.P. Pavlov Ryazan State Medical University of the RF Ministry of Public Health, Ryazan, Russia

Objective. The purpose of this study was to specify the anatomy of the deep femoral artery and deep femoral vein within the femoral triangle.

Materials and methods. The study was based on the data of anatomical dissection of vessels in the area of the upper third of the femur (20 specimens ) and ultrasonographic duplex angioscanning of patients undergoing routine examination of the vascular system (40 patients, 50 lower extremities). Ultrasonography was performed using linear and convex transducers (frequency 3-13 and 3-5 MHz).

Results. In the majority of cases, the deep femoral artery originated from the common femoral artery: in 100% of cases in anatomical dissection and in 98% according to the findings of ultrasound duplex angioscanning. Two trunks of the deep femoral artery were revealed in 14% of cases. The findings of ultrasound duplex angioscanning and those of anatomical dissection demonstrated a high origin of the deep femoral artery in 8% and 10% of cases, respectively. In the majority of cases, the deep femoral artery originated from the posterior surface of the common femoral artery: in 46% of cases on ultrasound duplex angioscanning and in 60% of cases in anatomical dissection; along the posterior lateral surface: in 36% according to the data of ultrasound duplex angioscanning and in 40% on dissection. The origin of the deep femoral artery from the medial surface of the common femoral artery was encountered in 8% cases and in 6% of cases was associated with formation of an atypical saphenofemoral junction. One patient was found to have the origin of one of the trunks of the deep femoral artery from the anterior surface of the common femoral artery.

Two trunks of the deep femoral vein were revealed in 84% of cases. The proximal trunk flowed into the femoral vein from the lateral surface immediately beneath the ostium of the deep femoral artery, and the distal trunk – 1-1.5 cm lower from the posterior medial side of the femoral vein.

Conclusions. The knowledge of variant anatomy of deep femoral vessels is very important for decreasing the risk of iatrogenic lesions during surgical manipulations and false-negative results of diagnostic manipulations. If possible, it is always necessary to preoperatively assess variant anatomy of deep femoral vessels (real-time assessment of topography of vessels by means of ultrasound duplex angioscanning, preoperative marking of vessels).

KEY WORDS: variant anatomy, deep femoral artery, deep femoral vein, ultrasonographic examination, anatomical dissection.

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