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Dissection of anterior and medial aspects of thigh

Femoral sheath; vascual and muscular spaces deep to inguinal ligament, viewed from below

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Image #186-3
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Dissection of anterior and medial aspects of thigh
Femoral sheath; vascual and muscular spaces deep to inguinal ligament, viewed from below
The structures that pass into the femoral triangle from above are shown in cross-section in this discussion. The specimen was prepared by dis-articulating the right thigh at the hip joint. The obturator externus and pectineus muscles have been completely removed. In the region immediately anterior to the acetabulum the iliopsoas muscle, femoral nerve and femoral vessels have been cut off inferior to the inguinal ligament (14). The structures lying within the spaces deep to the inguinal ligament can thus be identified. The iliopsoas muscle (3) and the femoral nerve (2) occupy the muscular space, separated by the slanting iliopectineal arch (1), from the femoral vessels (13) and femoral canal (15) located in the vascular space.
1 . Iliopectineal arch (iliopectineal ligament)
2 . Femoral nerve
3 . Iliopsoas muscle
4 . Anterior inferior iliac spine (origin of rectus femoris muscle)
5 . Upper pointer: Femoral sheath (posterior lamina; note attachment of this layer to iliopubic eminence) Lower pointer: Location of iliopubic (pectineal) eminence
6 . Gluteus minimus muscle
7 . Acetabulum
8 . Acetabular margin
9 . Obturator internus muscle (cut off)
10 . Aponeurosis of External oblique muscle
11 . Fascia lata (cut across and elevated)
12 . Femoral sheath (anterior lamina)
13 . Femoral artery and vein (within femoral canal)
14 . Inguinal ligament
15 . Femoral canal (cut across at its apex canal widens medially within femoral sheath as it approaches level of inguinal ligament)
16 . Round ligament of uterus (emerging through superficial inguinal ring)
17 . Pubic tubercle
18 . Location of femoral ring (obscured by medial wall of femoral sheath)
19 . Pectineal ligament (ligament of Cooper)
20 . Superior pubic ramus
21 . Obturator artery and vein
22 . Obturator nerve
23 . Obturator membrane
24 . Inferior pubic ramus
25 . Ischium