Medial circumflex femoral artery

The medial circumflex femoral artery (internal circumflex artery,^[1] medial femoral circumflex artery) is an artery in the upper thigh^[2] that arises from the profunda femoris artery.^[1] It supplies arterial blood to several muscles in the region, as well as the femoral head and neck.

Medial circumflex femoral artery
The profunda femoris artery, femoral artery and their major branches - right thigh, anterior view. Circumflex femoral arteries labeled.
Details
Source	Deep femoral artery, femoral artery
Supplies	Thigh
Identifiers
Latin	arteria circumflexa femoris medialis
TA98	A12.2.16.021
TA2	4686
FMA	20799
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

Damage to the artery following a femoral neck fracture may lead to avascular necrosis (ischemic) of the femoral neck/head.^[2]

Structure

Origin

The medial femoral circumflex artery arises from the posteromedial aspect of the profunda femoris artery.^[1]

The medial femoral circumflex artery may occasionally arise directly from the femoral artery.^{[citation needed]}

Course and relations

It winds around the medial side of the femur^[1] to pass along the posterior aspect of the femur.^[3] It first passes between the pectineus and the iliopsoas muscles, then between the obturator externus and the adductor brevis muscles.^[1]

Branches

At the upper border of the adductor brevis it gives off two branches:^[1]

• The ascending branch
• The descending branch descends beneath the adductor brevis, to supply it and the adductor magnus; the continuation of the vessel passes backward and divides into superficial, deep, and acetabular branches.
  • The superficial branch
  • The deep branch
  • The acetabular branch

Distribution

The medial femoral circumflex artery (with its branches) supplies arterial blood to several muscles, including: the adductor muscles of the hip, gracilis muscle,^[1][3] pectineus muscle,^[3] and external obturator muscle.^[1] It delivers most of the arterial supply to the femoral head and femoral neck via branches - the posterior retinacular arteries.^[4]

Clinical significance

Branches of the medial circumflex femoral artery supplying the head and neck of the femur are often torn in femoral neck fractures and in hip dislocation.^[4]

See also

• Lateral femoral circumflex artery