Anatomical variation of femoral artery and its clinical relevance

Abstract

The knowing and understanding of the anatomical variations is the basis for safety surgical interventions and treatment. This article describes the anatomical variations at the origin of two femoral artery branches: descending genicular artery and deep femoral artery, which have been routinely used as a source of vascularized cortico-periosteal grafts from the medial femoral condyle. First variation was found in the inferior right limb, corresponding a cephalic origin near the inguinal ligament of the descending genicular artery. The second variation was found in inferior left limb, where the deep femoral artery and descending genicular artery originate from a common trunk. Both variants are clinically relevant when performing invasive procedures at the level of the femoral triangle. It is important to understand the different anatomical variants of blood vessels in general to perform appropriate procedures based on the pathology and needs of the vessels.