The irfcrior external pudic artery arises from the femoral at a greater distance from Poupart's ligament than the former: at times it is given off by the prnfunda§ artery, or from the in ternal circumflex,Ilor from the superior branch :11 at others it is absent." It is situate beneath the fascia lata through a greater extent of its course than the superior; runs inward across the pec tinalis muscle, covered by the fascia; passes then through the fascia, and gains the scrotum or the labium and the perineum, in which it is distributed, communicating with the inferior branch of the former and ° with the perineal artery. Its course is at times so far from Pou part's ligament that it crosses behind the sa phena vein.
Occasionally a third* external pudic artery is present, arising either from the femoral itself, the profunda, or the internal circumflex artery.
3. The superficial anterior iliac artery (ar teria circumjlexa ilia superficialis, Harrison ; external cutaneous, Scarpa; artere musculaire superficielle, Cloquet ;) arises from the outer side of the femoral artery, or at times from the profunda:t it runs outward in front of the crural nerve, and after a short course divides into three branches. Its first comes from within the fascia lata and is distributed to the superfi cial inguinal glands : its second branch also comes through the fascia, runs round the ante rior and outer side of the thigh, below the spinous process of the ilium, and is distri buted superficially: and its third runs outward and upward, beneath the 'fascia lata, toward the superior anterior spinous process of the ilium; supplies the sartorius and tensor vaginza muscles at their origin, and also gives branches to the iliacus internus. This artery communi cates with branches of the gluteal, the deep anterior iliac, and the external circumflex arteries.
4. The profunda artery (arteria profunda fentoris; intermusculuire, Chauss.) is the vessel by which the muscles and other structures of the thigh are for the greater part supplied, whence it may be regarded as in strictness the femoral artery, the trunk of the, femoral, in its general acceptation, being distributed to the leg and foot : it is also the channel through which the communications between the femoral artery and the main arteries of the trunk on the one hand, and of the lower part of the limb on the other, are established, and by which, in case of interruption of the first vessel, either below or above the origin of the profunda, the circulation is to be restored : it is therefore an artery of great importance, and also of great size, being nearly equal to, though for the most part somewhat smaller than, the femoral itself, while in nianycases it is fully equal to it. Hence,
probably, it has received the name profunda femoris, deep femoral artery; and by many the femoral artery is distinguished into the common ,fernoral and the superficial and deep ; the first extending from the entrance of the vessel into the thigh to the origin of the pro funda; the second being the vessel from the point last mentioned to that at which it becomes popliteal ; and the third the artery which is at present under consideration.
The profunda artery for the most part arises from the posterior and outer side of the femoral at a distance, varying from one to two inches, below Poupart's ligament: it descends thence backward Imo the inguinal region, posterior to the femoral artery, and corresponding to the muscles situate behind them in the same order as the femoral itself until it reaches the adductor longus : it then passes behind that muscle and continues its descent between it and the adductor magnus, until after it has given off its last perforating branch, when it also perforates the magnus at the lower part of the middle third of the thigh, and finally is distributed to the short head of the biceps and the vastus externus, gives to the femur its in ferior nutritious artery, and anastomoses with the descending branches of the external cir cumflex artery, and with branches of the pop liteal. During its descent the profunda recedes from the surface more than the femoral artery, so that it lies nearer to the bottom of the in guinal space, and when placed directly behind it, is separated from that vessel by an interval, which is occupied by the femoral, the pro funda, and the circumflex veins. It is accotn panied by a corresponding single vein of con siderable size, the prqfunda vein, which in the upper part of the thigh is situate before the artery, intervening, as has been mentioned, between it and the femoral artery. It is con tained at first within the same sheath with the femoral; but it is presently received into a proper sheath, an offset from the back of that which encloses the other vessel. It has not an immediate relation to any nerve.