The vascular lacuna (Latin: ''lacuna vasorum'') is the compartment beneath the
inguinal ligament
The inguinal ligament (), also known as Poupart's ligament or groin ligament, is a band running from the pubic tubercle to the anterior superior iliac spine. It forms the base of the inguinal canal through which an indirect inguinal hernia may dev ...
which allows for passage of the
femoral vessels
The femoral vessels are those blood vessels passing through the femoral ring into the femoral canal thereby passing down the length of the thigh until behind the knee. These large vessel are the:
* Femoral artery (also known in this location a ...
, lymph vessels and
lymph node
A lymph node, or lymph gland, is a kidney-shaped organ of the lymphatic system and the adaptive immune system. A large number of lymph nodes are linked throughout the body by the lymphatic vessels. They are major sites of lymphocytes that inclu ...
s. Its boundaries are the
iliopectineal arch
The Iliopectineal arch is a thickened band of fused iliac fascia and psoas fascia passing from the posterior aspect of the inguinal ligament anteriorly across the front of the femoral nerve to attach to the iliopubic eminence of the hip bone po ...
, the inguinal ligament, the
lacunar ligament
The lacunar ligament, also named Gimbernat’s ligament, is a ligament in the inguinal region. It connects the inguinal ligament to the pectineal ligament, near the point where they both insert on the pubic tubercle.
Structure
The lacunar ligam ...
, and the superior border of the pubis. The structures found in the vascular lacuna, from medial to lateral, are:
*
Cloquet's node
Inguinal lymph nodes are lymph nodes in the human groin. Located in the femoral triangle of the inguinal region, they are grouped into superficial and deep lymph nodes. The superficial have three divisions: the superomedial, superolateral, and in ...
;
*
Femoral vein
In the human body, the femoral vein is a blood vessel that accompanies the femoral artery in the femoral sheath. It begins at the adductor hiatus (an opening in the adductor magnus muscle) as the continuation of the popliteal vein. It ends at th ...
;
*
Femoral artery
The femoral artery is a large artery in the thigh and the main arterial supply to the thigh and leg. The femoral artery gives off the deep femoral artery or profunda femoris artery and descends along the anteromedial part of the thigh in the fem ...
; and
* Femoral branch of the
genitofemoral nerve
The genitofemoral nerve refers to a nerve that is found in the abdomen. Its branches, the genital branch and femoral branch supply sensation to the upper anterior thigh, as well as the skin of the anterior scrotum in males and mons pubis in femal ...
The vascular lacuna is separated from the
muscular lacuna
The muscular lacuna (Latin: ''lacuna musculorum'') is the lateral compartment of the thigh inferior to the inguinal ligament, for the passage of the iliopsoas muscle, the femoral nerve and the lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh; it is separate ...
by the iliopectineal arch. The lacunar ligament can be a site of entrapment for femoral hernias.
[Ross, L.M., Lamperti, E.D. (2006). Thieme: Atlas of Anatomy: 489]
References
Muscular system
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