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In the human body, the femoral vein is a blood vessel that accompanies the femoral artery in the femoral sheath. It begins at the adductor canal (also known as Hunter's canal) and is a continuation of the popliteal vein. It ends at the inferior margin of the inguinal ligament, where it becomes the external iliac vein. Several large veins drain into the femoral vein:
Occlusion of the femoral vein can be life-threatening.Bundens WP, Bergan JJ, Halasz NA, Murray J, Drehobl M. The superficial femoral vein. A potentially lethal misnomer. JAMA. 1995 Oct 25;274(16):1296-8. PMID 7563535.
The practice of delivering drugs intraveinously using the femoral vein is common amongst IDUs.Maliphant J, Scott J. Use of the femoral vein ('groin injecting') by a sample of needle exchange clients in Bristol, UK. Harm Reduction Journal 2005, 2:6. Free Full Text.
Use of the term superficial femoral vein
The term is superficial femoral vein not recognized as a legitimate anatomic term.Hammond I. The superficial femoral vein. Radiology. 2003 Nov;229(2):604; discussion 604-6. PMID 14595157. Full Text. However, some specialist physicians (e.g. radiologists, vascular surgeons) use the term superficial femoral vein for the distal part of the femoral vein (to differentiate it from the profunda femoris vein, which is paired with the profunda femoris artery). Usage of this term is discouraged by many physicians because it leads to confusion among general medical practioners. The femoral vein is considered a deep vein, unlike the adjective superficial suggests and has lead some physicians to falsely conclude it is a superficial vein, which has resulted in patients (with deep vein thrombosis) being denied efficacious thrombolytic therapy.
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"Femoral vein"