| Vein: Femoral vein | |
|---|---|
| Drawing of the left femoral triangle - shows superior portion of the femoral vein. | |
| The femoral vein and its tributaries. | |
| Latin | vena femoralis |
| Gray's | subject #173 672 |
| Source | popliteal, profunda femoris, great saphenous |
| Drains to | external iliac vein |
| Artery | femoral artery |
| MeSH | Femoral+Vein |
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.
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Several large veins drain into the femoral vein:
Occlusion of the femoral vein can be life-threatening.[1]
The practice of delivering recreational drugs intravenously using the femoral vein is relatively common amongst injecting drug users (IDUs).[2]
The term superficial femoral vein is not recognized as a legitimate anatomic term.[3]
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:
Usage of this term is discouraged by many physicians because it leads to confusion among general medical practitioners.[1]
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.[3]
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