Boundaries
It is bounded by:
Its floor is formed (medial to lateral) by adductor longus, pectineus and iliopsoas. Its roof is formed by the fascia lata.
The femoral triangle is shaped like the sail of a ship and it's boundaries can be remembered using the mnemonic, "SAIL" for Sartorius, Adductor longus and Inguinal Ligament.
Contents
It is important as a number of vital structures pass through it, right under the skin. The following structures are contained within the femoral triangle (from lateral to medial):
- terminal part of the femoral nerve and its branches
- femoral sheath
- femoral artery and its branches
- femoral veins and its tributaries
- deep inguinal lymph nodes (snell, 8th edition)
FLOOR
- iliopsoas
- pectineus
- adductor longus
ROOF is formed by the skin and fasciae of the thigh
Clinical significance
Since the femoral triangle provides easy access to a major artery, coronary angioplasty is often performed by entering the femoral artery at the femoral triangle. Heavy bleeding in the leg can be stopped by applying pressure to points in the femoral triangle. Another clinical significance of the femoral triangle is that the femoral artery is positioned at the midinguinal point (midpoint between the pubic symphysis and the anterior superior iliac spine); medial to it lies the femoral vein. Thus the femoral vein, once located, allows for femoral venopuncture. Femoral venopuncture is useful when there are no superficial veins that can be aspirated in a patient, in the case of collapse. The positive pulsation of the femoral artery signifies that the heart is beating and also blood is flowing to the lower extremity.
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