The Morphologic Study of the Femoral Vein and Its Tributaries in Korean Adults

Choi, Ik Soo; Kwon, O Young

Abstract

The veins of the lower limb are subdivided into deep veins, superficial veins, and comminucating veins. The deep veins accompany the arteries, while the superficial veins course under the superficial fascia just beneath the skin and they have great, small saphenous veins, and their tributaries. The superficial and deep veins are connected by the commincating veins, which are usually located along the intermuscular septum. There are many reports about the venous system of the lower limb in foreign countries but a few in Korea. It is considerably valuable in the vascular surgery of the lower limb and the surgical management of the varicose veins. This study deals with the Korean cadavers, the authors observed the location of the saphenofemoral junction, medial and lateral femoral circumflex veins, and deep femoral veins, and the termination modes between the superficial veins and great saphenous veins and the femoral circumflex veins to the deep femoral veins or femoral veins. The following results were: 1. Any noticeable anomalies of the femoral vein proper were not present. 2. The saphenofemoral junctions were located at 3.78±0.91cm below the inguinal ligaments, 2.22±1.18cm below the pubic tubercles, 3.99±0.99cm lateral to the pubic tubercles. 3. The termination modes of superficial veins to the great saphenous veins around the fossa ovalis were classified into 3 types, Type I: Superficial epigastric vein, superficial iliac circumflex vein, external pudendal vein emptied into the upper end of the great saphenous vein(45.1%). Type II: One or more veins among above mentioned 3 veins emptied into the lateral accessory saphenous vein (48.8%). Type III: One or more veins among above mentioned 3 veins emptied into the medial accessory saphenous vein(4.9%). One cadaver(1.2%) was not belonged to the above classification, in which above mentioned 3 veins were emptied directly into the femoral vein. 4. The termination level of deep femoral veins into the femoral veins was 8.68±1.92cm below the inguinal ligaments, 6.60±1.98cm below the pubic tubercles, 5.28±51.46cm lateral to the pubic tubercles. 5. The termination level of medial femoral circumflex veins into the femoral veins or deep femoral veins was 5.10±1.73cm below the inguinal ligaments, 3.65±1.92cm below the pubic tubercles, 4.62±1.41cm lateral to the pubic tubercles, and the termination level of the lateral femoral circumflex veins into the femoral veins or deep femoral veins was 7.00±1.48cm below the inguinal ligaments, 5. 05±1. 67 cm below the pubic tubercles, 5. 41±1.21 cm, lateral to the pubic tubercles. 6. The termination modes of femoral circumflex veins were classified into 4 types in male cadavers, Type A: Medial and lateral femoral circumflex veins emptied into the femoral vein. Type B: Medial femoral circumflex vein emptied into the femoral vein and lateral femoralcircumflex vein emptied into the deep femoral vein. Type C: Medial femoral circumflex vein emptied into the deep femoral vein and lateral femoral circumflex vein emptied into the femoral vein. Type D: Medial and lateral femoral circumflex veins emptied into the deep femoral vein. In the right sides, type A was 94.1% and type C was 5.9% while in the left sides, type A was 79.4%, type B was 5.9% and type C was 14.7%. 7. The collateral circulations were identified in 67 observations (81.7%) and venous circles were identified in 46 observations (56.1%).