Variants of the deep femoral artery in adult Vietnamese people: autopsy based study
Keywords:
anatomic variation, femoral artery, VietnamAbstract
Introduction: Understanding anatomic variations of the deep femoral artery (DFA) and its branches is crucial for diagnostic angiography and surgical procedures.
Objective: To determine the morphological characteristics and anatomical variations of the deep femoral artery in adult Vietnamese individuals.
Methods: Anatomical variations of the DFA and its branches were examined in 79 thighs from 40 adult cadavers at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City (2023). Dissection was performed to determine the origin, branching patterns, and distance of DFA from the inguinal ligament (IL).
Results: The DFA was absent in 2.5% of cases. Its origin from the femoral artery was most commonly posterolateral (29.8%) and posterior (40.3%). The mean distance of DFA origin from the IL was 36.92 ± 16.54 mm. High and middle origins occurred in 35.1% and 58.4% of cases, respectively, while low origin was rare (6.5%). High origin was more frequent in females (48.3% vs. 27.1%, p < 0.05). The LCFA arose from the DFA in 83.2% of cases and from the femoral artery in 13%. The MCFA originated from the DFA in 55.6% and from the femoral artery in 36.4%.
Conclusions: The branching variability of the DFA and its circumflex branches is clinically significant for vascular access, orthopedic procedures, and reconstructive surgery. Recognizing these variations may help prevent iatrogenic complications during femoral interventions.
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