Lateral circumflex femoral artery

The lateral circumflex femoral artery ( " outer side, the femoral artery encompassing ") is an artery of the lower limb in the thigh.

The lateral circumflex femoral artery arises when people mostly from the arteria profunda femoris, and occasionally directly from the femoral artery. She pulls under the sartorius muscle and the rectus femoris muscle and divides into three branches:

• The ramus ( " ascending branch " ) draws under the tensor fasciae latae cranial and anastomoses with a branch of the medial femoral circumflex artery. It supplies the head and neck of the femur.
• The descending branch ( " descending branch " ) moves under the rectus femoris caudal and pierces the vastus lateralis muscle. In the area of the knee it anastomoses with a branch of the popliteal artery.
• The ramus transversus ( " transverse branch " ) passes through the vastus lateralis muscle and anastomoses of the hip with branches of the medial femoral circumflex artery, inferior gluteal artery and the ramus perforans I arteria profunda femoris.