Femoral vein

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In the human body, the femoral vein is a blood vessel that accompanies the femoral artery in the femoral sheath. It begins at the adductor canal (also known as Hunter's canal) and is a continuation of the popliteal vein. It ends at the inferior margin of the inguinal ligament, where it becomes the external iliac vein.

Video Femoral vein

Drainage

Several large veins drain into the femoral vein:

• popliteal vein
• deep vein of the thigh
• great saphenous vein

Maps Femoral vein

Clinical significance

Occlusion of the femoral vein can be life-threatening.

The practice of delivering recreational drugs intravenously using the femoral vein is relatively common amongst injecting drug users (IDUs).

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Use of the term superficial femoral vein

The term superficial femoral vein is recognized as a legitimate anatomic term.

However, some specialist physicians (e.g. radiologists, and orthopaedic/vascular surgeons) use the term superficial femoral vein for the distal part of the femoral vein to:

1. differentiate the femoral vein segments before and after the deep vein of the thigh (profunda femoris vein) joins with it, and
2. differentiate the distal segment of the femoral vein from the deep vein of the thigh, which is paired with the deep artery of the thigh.

Usage of this term is discouraged by many physicians because it leads to confusion among general medical practitioners.

The femoral vein is considered a deep vein, unlike the adjective superficial suggests and has led some physicians to falsely conclude it is a superficial vein, which has resulted in patients (with deep vein thrombosis) being denied efficacious anticoagulant or thrombolytic therapy.

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Additional images

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References

src: jpet.aspetjournals.org

External links

• Gray's s157 - "The Arteries of the Lower Extremity"
• Anatomy figure: 12:05-01 at Human Anatomy Online, SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Veins of the lower extremity shown in association with major landmarks."
• Cross section image: pelvis/pelvis-e12-15--Plastination Laboratory at the Medical University of Vienna

Source of article : Wikipedia