Neurovasculature of the hip and thigh – Anatomy Atlas

Table of Contents

Overview

Overview of the neurovasculature of the lower limb The left side of the image represents the anterior view of the hip and thigh. The femoral artery with its two branches, the deep femoral and descending genicular arteries, supplies most of the structures of this region. On the right, the posterior hip and the gluteal region are shown. The superior and inferior gluteal arteries supply the muscles and the skin of this region. Notice also the medial circumflex femoral artery, which supplies the neck of the femur. The main vein draining the hip and thigh is the femoral vein. The two main nerves supplying the hip and thigh are the femoral and sciatic nerves. Other significant nerves of the region are the saphenous, femoral cutaneous (lateral and posterior), obturator, gluteal (superior and inferior) and cluneal (superior, medial, and inferior) nerves.

Keypoints

Key points about neurovasculature of the hip and thigh
Arteries of the hip and thigh	External iliac artery: Deep circumflex iliac artery, femoral artery, superficial epigastric artery, superficial circumflex iliac artery, deep femoral artery, medial circumflex femoral artery, lateral circumflex femoral artery, descending genicular artery Internal iliac artery: Obturator artery, superior gluteal artery, inferior gluteal artery
Veins of the hip and thigh (tributaries)	Superficial: Great saphenous vein, accessory saphenous vein Deep: Femoral vein, deep femoral vein, medial circumflex femoral vein, lateral circumflex femoral vein
Nerves of the hip and thigh	Lumbar plexus: Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, accessory obturator nerve, obturator nerve, femoral nerve (saphenous nerve), superior cluneal nerves Sacral plexus: Superior gluteal nerve, inferior gluteal nerve, posterior femoral cutaneous nerve (inferior cluneal nerves), sciatic nerve (tibial nerve, common fibular nerve), medial cluneal nerves
Muscular innervation	Femoral nerve: Quadriceps femoris, pectineus, sartorius Sciatic nerve: Biceps femoris, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and the ischial portion of the adductor magnus Obturator nerve: Adductor brevis, adductor longus, gracilis, obturator externus, adductor magnus Superior gluteal nerve: Tensor fasciae latae, gluteus minimus, gluteus medius, piriformis Inferior gluteal nerve: Gluteus maximus
Cutaneous innervation	Femoral nerve: Anterior and medial thigh (anterior cutaneous branches) Saphenous nerve: Area over course of saphenous vein; articular branches to hip and knee joints Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve: Lateral thigh Posterior femoral cutaneous nerve: Lower border of gluteus maximus, back and medial thigh Sciatic nerve: Posterior thigh Obturator nerve: Medial thigh Superior cluneal nerves: Superior buttocks Medial cluneal nerves: Medial buttocks Inferior cluneal nerves: Inferior buttocks