Anatomy of Profunda Femoris Artery

Courtesy: Prof Nabil Ebraheim, University of Toledo, Ohio, USA

The Profunda femoris artery which is the chief blood supply of the thigh,arises from the posterolateral aspect of the femoral artery about 4cm below the inguinal ligament.Speaking about its course,it passes medially behind the femoral artery.It crosses the Pectineus and the Adductor brevis muscles,runs under the Adductor longus muscle,following which it runs between the Adductor magnus and the Adductor longus muscles.The Profunda femoris artery,when it reaches the Adductor magnus muscle, gives rise to 3 perforating branches and ends by perforating the Adductor magnus as the 4th perforating branch. Perforating branches are named so since they perforate the insertion of the Adductor magnus to reach the back of the thigh.The first three perforating arteries are branches of the Profunda femoris artery while the 4th perforating artery is a continuation of the Profunda femoris itself.
During posterior exposure of the hip,partial section of greater than 2cm of the Gluteus maximus tendon attachment on the femur can be associated with a risk of injury to the 1st perforating branch. The Profunda femoris further also gives origin to the medial circumflex femoral artery(MCFA) and the lateral circumflex femoral artery(LCFA),the former giving rise to the ascending, acetabular and transverse branches and the later giving rise to the ascending, descending and transverse branches.