Medial Circumflex Femoral Artery

The medial circumflex femoral artery is an oxygen-rich blood vessel of the upper portion of thigh. It originates from the medial side of the profunda femoris artery, which is the main branch of the femoral proper. First, it runs medially and slightly downwards, making its way between the iliopsoas and pectineus muscle. Then the medial circumflex femoral travels backwards as it runs deep into the adductor muscles. Finally, it winds round the neck of the femur bone, anastomosing with the inferior gluteal and the superior gluteal artery, as well as with the lateral circumflex femoral artery, which is called the cruciate anastomosis.

Along its tortuous course, this first branch of the deep femoral artery sends several branches that supply the muscles of the upper portion of thigh as well as the proximal end (upper portion) of femur.

Branches

The medial circumflex femoral gives off the following branches:

a) Transverse branch, which stretches downwards and medially, supplying the adductor longus, adductor brevis as well as the gracilis and obturator externus muscles.

b) Deep branch, which is the last portion of the medial circumflex artery, dividing into an ascending and a descending branch.

c) Acetabular branch, which irrigates the acetabulum (a cup-shaped depression on the lateral surface of the hip bone).

d) Ascending branch, which anastomoses with the inferior gluteal artery as it supplies portions of the quadratus femoris and gluteus minimus muscle.

Below, two diagrams of the arteries of thigh, with the femoral, the deep femoral and the medial circumflex femoral artery being among the most important ones.