Anatomical variations of the deep femoral artery: a dissection-based study

The deep femoral artery and its branches may vary in origin, position and diameter. Variations in these vessels may have clinical implications for interventional procedures; however, there is a shortage of published information from South African studies. Therefore, this study investigated the variations of the femoral artery (FA), deep femoral artery (DFA), medial circumflex femoral artery (MCFA), and lateral circumflex femoral artery (LCFA) in a dissection study, comparing findings between sides of the body and sexes. Following ethical approval, sixty lower limbs (20 Males and 10 females) were dissected to ascertain the site of DFA origin and the vessels from which the MCFA and LCFA originated. The distances between the inguinal ligament and the DFA origin, and between the DFA origin and the MCFA and LCFA origins were measured. External diameters of the FA, DFA, MCFA, and LCFA were determined. The findings were statistically compared between sides and sexes. The DFA originated predominantly from the posterior (58.3%) and posterolateral (28.3%) aspects of the FA. The DFA was the primary origin for the MCFA (63.3%) and LCFA (75.0%), with a significant difference between sexes in the prevalence of the MCFA origin. Males exhibited a higher prevalence of low DFA origin (36.7%) than females (8.3%), whereas no significant differences were observed in the measurements between sides or sexes. The study revealed variations in the origins, distances, and diameters of the FA, DFA, MCFA, and LCFA. Awareness of these variations is crucial for interventional radiologists and orthopaedic surgeons to mitigate risks of iatrogenic injuries during procedures in the femoral region.