The femoral artery is the main arterial blood supply to the lower extremity. The common femoral artery begins at the inguinal ligament as the continuation of the external iliac artery and divides into the superficial femoral artery and the profunda femoris, or deep femoral artery, in the upper thigh. In vascular ultrasound, the femoral artery system is routinely evaluated for atherosclerotic disease, aneurysms, pseudoaneurysms from catheterization procedures, and arteriovenous fistulas. The common femoral artery is also a frequent site of arterial access for cardiac catheterization and other interventional procedures, and ultrasound is commonly used to evaluate complications at this access site.
Sonography Term