The femoral canal is the medial (and smallest) compartment of the three compartments of the

femoral sheath The femoral sheath (also called the crural sheath) is a funnel-shaped downward extension of abdominal fascia within which the femoral artery and femoral vein pass between the abdomen and the thigh. The femoral sheath is subdivided by two vertica ...

. It is conical in shape. The femoral canal contains

lymphatic vessels The lymphatic vessels (or lymph vessels or lymphatics) are thin-walled vessels (tubes), structured like blood vessels, that carry lymph. As part of the lymphatic system, lymph vessels are complementary to the cardiovascular system. Lymph vessel ...

, and

adipose Adipose tissue (also known as body fat or simply fat) is a loose connective tissue composed mostly of adipocytes. It also contains the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of cells including preadipocytes, fibroblasts, Blood vessel, vascular endothel ...

and

loose connective tissue Loose connective tissue, also known as areolar tissue, is a cellular connective tissue with thin and relatively sparse collagen fibers. They have a semi-fluid matrix with lesser proportions of fibers. Its ground substance occupies more vol ...

, as well as - sometimes - a deep inguinal lymph node. The function of the femoral canal is to accommodate the distension of the

femoral vein In the human body, the femoral vein is the vein that accompanies the femoral artery in the femoral sheath. It is a deep vein that begins at the adductor hiatus (an opening in the adductor magnus muscle) as the continuation of the popliteal v ...

when venous return from the leg is increased or temporarily restricted (e.g. during a

Valsalva maneuver The Valsalva maneuver is performed by a forceful attempt of exhalation against a closed airway, usually done by closing one's mouth and pinching one's nose shut while expelling air, as if blowing up a balloon. Variations of the maneuver can be ...

). The proximal, abdominal end of the femoral canal forms the

femoral ring The femoral ring is the opening at the proximal, abdominal end of the femoral canal, and represents the (superiorly directed/oriented) base of the conically-shaped femoral canal. The femoral ring is oval-shaped, with its long diameter being direc ...

. The femoral canal should not be confused with the nearby

adductor canal The adductor canal (also known as the subsartorial canal or Hunter's canal) is an aponeurotic tunnel in the middle third of the thigh giving passage to parts of the femoral artery, vein, and nerve. It extends from the apex of the femoral triang ...

Anatomy

The femoral canal is bordered: * anterosuperiorly by the

inguinal ligament The inguinal ligament (), also known as Poupart's ligament or groin ligament, is a band running from the pubic tubercle to the anterior superior iliac spine. It forms the base of the inguinal canal through which an indirect inguinal hernia may ...

* posteriorly by the pectineal ligament lying anterior to the superior pubic ramus * Medially by the lacunar ligament * Laterally by the

Physiological significance

The position of the femoral canal medially to the

is of physiologic importance. The space of the canal allows for the expansion of the

when venous return from the lower limbs is increased or when increased intra-abdominal pressure (

) causes a temporary stasis in the venous flow.

Clinical significance

The entrance to the femoral canal is the

, through which bowel can sometimes enter, causing a

femoral hernia Femoral hernias are hernias which occur just below the inguinal ligament, when abdominal contents pass through a naturally occurring weakness in the abdominal wall called the femoral canal. Femoral hernias are a relatively uncommon type, acco ...

. Though femoral hernias are rare, their passage through the inflexible femoral ring puts them at particular risk of strangulation, giving them surgical priority.

References

External links

* ()
Diagram
at

NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...

The Abdominal Wall
from www.med.mun.ca {{Authority control Lower limb anatomy

Anatomy

Physiological significance

Clinical significance

See also

References

External links