The femoral artery, which passes fairly close to the outer surface of the upper thighs, divides into smaller branches to provide blood to muscles and superficial tissues in the thigh. They also supply the skin of the groin and lower abdominal wall. Important branches of the femoral artery include: (1) superficial circumflex iliac artery to the lymph nodes and the skin of the groin; (2) superficial epigastric artery to the skin of the abdominal wall; (3) superficial and deep external pudenal arteries to the skin of the lower abdomen and external genitalia; (4) profunda femoris artery, which is the largest branch of the femoral artery and supplies the hip joint and various muscles in the thigh; and (5) deep genicular artery to the farthest ends of the thigh muscles and to connecting nerve networks around the knee joint. The corresponding femoral vein travels parallel to the artery, carrying the blood from these locations back to the heart.
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