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Topic

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Femoral artery

The femoral artery is the continuation of the external iliac artery after it passes beneath the inguinal ligament at the level of the mid-inguinal point (midpoint between the anterior superior iliac spine and the pubic symphysis). It is the primary arterial supply of the lower limb, running through the femoral triangle, adductor canal, and continuing as the popliteal artery after passing through the adductor hiatus.

It lies within the femoral sheath in the femoral triangle, lateral to the femoral vein and medial to the femoral nerve. Its surface position makes it clinically important for vascular access, catheterization, and surgical interventions.

Branches

  • Superficial epigastric artery

  • Superficial circumflex iliac artery

  • Superficial external pudendal artery

  • Deep femoral artery (profunda femoris) – major branch supplying thigh muscles

  • Descending genicular artery

  • Numerous muscular branches

Synonyms

  • Arteria femoralis

  • Common femoral artery (proximal portion)

  • Superficial femoral artery (continuation after profunda femoris branch)

Function

  • Supplies blood to the anterior and medial thigh, hip, and knee joints

  • Via profunda femoris, also supplies posterior and lateral thigh muscles

  • Continues as popliteal artery, providing blood supply to the leg and foot

  • Common site for vascular access in angiography, stenting, and cardiac catheterization

MRI Appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • Lumen: flow void (black)

  • Vessel wall: thin hypointense rim

  • Surrounded by hyperintense fat in femoral triangle

T2-weighted images:

  • Lumen: flow void in normal cases

  • Thrombosis: hyperintense signal within lumen depending on clot age

STIR:

  • Fat suppression enhances visibility of perivascular edema, hematoma, or inflammatory changes

  • Artery itself remains dark unless diseased

T1 Fat-Suppressed Post-Gadolinium:

  • Normal femoral artery enhances brightly and homogeneously

  • Detects stenosis, aneurysm, pseudoaneurysm, or dissection

  • Highlights vascular wall changes and collateral flow

MRA Pelvis/Lower Limb with Gadolinium:

  • Gold-standard MRI technique for mapping the femoral artery and branches

  • Provides 3D view of origin, course, and bifurcation into superficial and deep femoral arteries

  • Detects stenosis, occlusions, aneurysms, and post-surgical graft patency

CT Appearance

Non-contrast CT:

  • Artery visualized as soft-tissue density structure, often faint

  • Useful for identifying arterial calcification or mural thrombus

CT Post-Contrast:

  • Femoral artery enhances strongly, clearly showing its course in femoral triangle and adductor canal

  • Detects vascular injuries, active bleeding, or inflammatory changes

CT Angiography (CTA):

  • Gold standard for arterial imaging of lower limbs

  • Provides high-resolution images of origin, bifurcation, branches, and downstream runoff

  • Multiplanar and 3D reconstructions allow precise evaluation of stenosis, occlusion, aneurysm, dissection, trauma, and vascular grafts

  • Essential for planning angioplasty, stenting, bypass surgery, or endovascular interventions

CT VRT 3D image

femoral artery CT 3D VRT anatomy image

CT image

femoral artery CT axial image MRI axial anatomy image-img-00000-00000

MRI image

femoral artery MRI axial anatomy image-img-00000-00000

CT image

Femoral artery 3D CORONAL IMAGE

CT image

Femoral artery CT SAGITTAL IMAGE