ANATOMICAL VARIANTS OF THE PROFUNDA FEMORIS ARTERY - AN ANGIOGRAPHIC STUDY

The bifurcation of the common femoral artery (CFA) into superficial an d profunda femoris arteries (PFA) and the branching pattern of the PFA are subject to considerable normal anatomical variation. These variat ion patterns were assessed on normal lower limb angiograms of 94 adult patients. The main pattern (in 81% of patients) consisted of both med ial and lateral circumflex arteries arising directly from a PFA situat ed lateral or posterolateral to the femoral artery. Previous studies o f arterial variations in this region and the relevant embryology are r eviewed. Relevance to angiographic procedures of the lower limb is dis cussed.