Anatomical Variations of ProfundaFemoris Artery in Indian Population

Background: Aim: To assess anatomical variations of profundafemoris artery in Indian population.Methods:45 embalmed lower extremities adult human cadavers age range of 30–65 years were recruited for the study. The femoral triangles were dissected with proper care to identify the profundafemoris and circumflex femoral arteries. Their source of origin, position, and distance were noted with the mid-inguinal point (MIP) as a reference point.Results:Side of profundafemoris artery (PFA) was postero- lateral in 60%, posterior in 30%, lateral in 5% and absent in 5%. Medial circumflex femoral artery (MCFA) had 65%, 15%, 12% and 8% and lateral circumflex femoral artery (LCFA) had 80%, 15%, 5% and 0% respectively. Origin of profundafemoris artery (PFA) was FA in 90% and common trunk with medial circumflex femoral artery in 10%. Origin of Medial circumflex femoral artery (MCFA) was FA in 55%, PFA in 40% and FA with common trunk with MCFA in 5%. Origin of lateral circumflex femoral artery (LCFA) was femoral artery in 70%, PFA in 20% and FA with common trunk with PFA in 10%. A significant difference was observed (P< 0.05).Conclusions:A thorough knowledge of variation of profunda femoral artery is of great importance and to avoid complications.

Variations in the Circumflex Branches of the Profunda Femoris Artery - A Cadaveric Study

BACKGROUND The external iliac artery passes behind the inguinal ligament into the front of the thigh as the femoral artery (FA). The FA gives off many branches both superficial and deep. The profunda femoris artery (PFA) is one of the deep branches given off in the femoral triangle in front of the thigh. The PFA gives off the medial circumflex femoral artery (MCFA) and the lateral circumflex femoral arteries (LCFA) and continues downwards giving off the first, second and third perforating arteries. The PFA terminates as the fourth perforating artery. Many variations in the circumflex branches of the PFA have been found by various authors. These variations are of great significance during procedures done in front part of the thigh. METHODS This is a descriptive cadaveric study. We dissected the thighs of 57 embalmed bodies. We looked for the medial (MCFA) and lateral (LCFA) circumflex arteries which are branches of PFA. Each artery was followed till its termination. The distance of their origin from the point of the origin of PFA from the FA was measured and noted. The distance between pubic symphysis and anterior superior iliac spine was measured using black silk and measuring scale. The midpoint was marked using skin marking pen and an incision extending from anterior superior iliac spine to pubic symphysis was made. Another incision was made from the above midpoint to the midpoint of a horizontal incision at the level of knee joint. Femoral sheath was identified and incised. Femoral artery, profunda femoris artery and its circumflex branches were identified. The modes of origin of MCFA and LCFA were noted. The distance of origin of these from the origin of PFA were measured. Variations in the branching pattern of MCFA and LCFA were looked for and noted down. RESULTS We found that in 83 % of the total cases MCFA took origin from PFA and its origin was from the FA in 13 %. In 84 % of total cases LCFA arose from PFA on the right side and 70 % on the left side. A common stump of origin was noted in 3 cases. CONCLUSIONS Medial and lateral circumflex branches of PFA exhibit wide variations. KEY WORDS Medial Circumflex Femoral Artery, Lateral Circumflex Femoral Artery, Variations in Origin and Branching

The origin of the medial circumflex femoral artery: a meta-analysis and proposal of a new classification system

Background and Objectives.The medial circumflex femoral artery (MCFA) is a common branch of the deep femoral artery (DFA) responsible for supplying the femoral head and the greater trochanteric fossa. The prevalence rates of MCFA origin, its branching patterns and its distance to the mid-inguinal point (MIP) vary significantly throughout the literature. The aim of this study was to determine the true prevalence of these characteristics and to study their associated anatomical and clinical relevance.Methods.A search of the major electronic databases Pubmed, EMBASE, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, SciELO, BIOSIS, and CNKI was performed to identify all articles reporting data on the origin of the MCFA, its branching patterns and its distance to the MIP. No data or language restriction was set. Additionally, an extensive search of the references of all relevant articles was performed. All data on origin, branching and distance to MIP was extracted and pooled into a meta-analysis using MetaXL v2.0.Results.A total of 38 (36 cadaveric and 2 imaging) studies (n= 4,351 lower limbs) were included into the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of the MCFA originating from the DFA was 64.6% (95% CI [58.0–71.5]), while the pooled prevalence of the MCFA originating from the CFA was 32.2% (95% CI [25.9–39.1]). The CFA-derived MCFA was found to originate as a single branch in 81.1% (95% CI [70.1–91.7]) of cases with a mean pooled distance of 50.14 mm (95% CI [42.50–57.78]) from the MIP.Conclusion.The MCFA’s variability must be taken into account by surgeons, especially during orthopedic interventions in the region of the hip to prevent iatrogenic injury to the circulation of the femoral head. Based on our analysis, we present a new proposed classification system for origin of the MCFA.