FEMORAL SHEATH

FEMORAL SHEATH

• Femoral sheath is a funnel shaped fascial prolongation around proximal part of femoral vessels, situated in the femoral triangle, below the inguinal ligament.

•  It is 3-4 cm long. 

• Distance between femoral ring and saphenous opening is 1.25cm 

• It is formed by fascia iliaca.

COMPARTMENTS:

• Femoral sheath is divided into 3 separate fascial compartements by septa :

– Lateral compartment :- It contains femoral artery and femoral branch of genitofemoral nerve.

– Intermediate compartment :- Femoral vein.

– Medial compartment (femoral canal) :

• It is conical in shape, wider above and narrow below. 

• Femoral artery lies outside the femoral sheath 

• The wider upper opening is known as femoral ring, which is potentially a weak point in lower abdomen and is the site for femoral hernia. 

Femoral ring is bounded :

• Anteriorly by inguinal ligament, 

• medially by lacunar ligament,

• posteriorly by pectineus with its covering fascia, and 

• laterally by septum separating it from femoral vein. 

• Femoral canal contains lymph node of cloquet or Rosenmuller and lymphatics.