femoral canal (anatomy)
Last reviewed 01/2018
The femoral canal is the passageway by which femoral structures exit from the abdomen into the upper thigh. Its boundaries are:
- anteriorly: inguinal ligament
- medially: pubic bone and lacunar ligament
- laterally: iliopsoas muscle
- posteriorly: pubic ramus and pectineus muscle
It is divided into two compartments by the medial border of the femoral vein. The medial compartment is the femoral ring. The lateral compartment contains the following structures from medial to lateral:
- femoral vein
- femoral artery
- genitofemoral nerve
- femoral nerve
The femoral artery and vein are enclosed by the femoral sheath, an extension of the transversalis fascia.