The superficial iliac circumflex artery (or superficial circumflex iliac), the smallest of the cutaneous branches of the femoral artery, arises close to the

superficial epigastric artery The superficial epigastric artery (not to be confused with the superior epigastric artery) arises from the front of the femoral artery about 1 cm below the inguinal ligament, and, passing through the femoral sheath and the fascia cribrosa ...

, and, piercing the

fascia lata The fascia lata is the deep fascia of the thigh. It encloses the thigh muscles and forms the outer limit of the fascial compartments of thigh, which are internally separated by the medial intermuscular septum and the lateral intermuscular septu ...

, runs lateralward, parallel with 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 ...

, as far as the crest of the ilium. It divides into branches which supply the integument of the

groin In human anatomy, the groin (the adjective is ''inguinal'', as in inguinal canal) is the junctional area (also known as the inguinal region) between the abdomen and the thigh on either side of the pubic bone. This is also known as the medial comp ...

, the superficial fascia, and the superficial subinguinal

lymph glands 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 include ...

, anastomosing with the

deep iliac circumflex The deep circumflex iliac artery (or deep iliac circumflex artery) is an artery in the pelvis that travels along the iliac crest of the pelvic bone. Course The deep circumflex iliac artery arises from the lateral aspect of the external iliac art ...

, the superior gluteal and

lateral femoral circumflex The lateral circumflex femoral artery, also known as the lateral femoral circumflex artery, or the external circumflex artery, is an artery in the upper thigh. It is usually a branch of the profunda femoris artery, and produces three branches. It ...

arteries. In 45% to 50% of persons the superficial circumflex iliac artery and superficial inferior epigastric artery arise from a common trunk. In contrast, 40% to 45% of persons have a superficial circumflex iliac artery and superficial inferior epigastric artery that arise from separate origins.Mathes SJ, Nahai F, eds. Reconstructive Surgery: Principles, Anatomy, and Technique. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone, Inc; 1997;2:1005.

Additional images

File:Gray393.png, The subcutaneous inguinal ring. File:Gray580.png, The great saphenous vein and its tributaries at the fossa ovalis. File:Gray581.png, The great saphenous vein and its tributaries. File:Gray584.png, The femoral vein and its tributaries. File:Slide1NNNN.JPG, Superficial circumflex iliac artery (NOTE: this diagram is mislabelled. The "superficial circumflex iliac artery" should be swapped with the "superficial epigastric artery). As the circumflex iliac heads laterally towards the ASIS. File:Slide2Thai.JPG, Anterior abdominal wall.Superficial dissection.Anterior view.

References

External links

* () Arteries of the lower limb Arteries of the abdomen {{circulatory-stub