The perforating arteries are three, sometimes four, blood vessels which supply most muscles of the thigh. They originate from the lateral side of the deep femoral artery (profunda femoris), which is the main branch of the femoral artery. Once they have arisen, they travels laterally and backwards to the posterior aspect of thigh at the line of insertion of the adductor muscles to the femur.
The first perforating artery originates at the level of the lower border of the pectineus muscle. The second one emerges at the lower border of the adductor brevis muscle. Meanwhile, the third perforating arises right below the adductor longus. All three branches pierce the adductor muscles at the sites of insertion to the femur. As they runs backward behind the femur, they give off side branches to supply the three adductor, the semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and biceps femoris muscles as well as the skin of this region of thigh.
The second and third perforating artery also send smaller collateral branches which supply the femur and the tendons attached to it.
Below, picture showing the femoral, profunda femoris, medial circumflex femoral, lateral circumflex femoral, the perforating arteries, and the adductor muscles they supply
