medial circumflex femoral artery

me·di·al cir·cum·flex fem·o·ral ar·ter·y

[TA]

artery that, with the lateral circumflex femoral artery encircles the proximal femur and is the primary blood supply of the femoral head and neck; origin, profunda femoris; distribution, hip joint, muscles of thigh; anastomoses, inferior gluteal, superior gluteal, lateral circumflex femoral (so-called "cruciate anastomosis").

Synonym(s): arteria circumflexa femoris medialis [TA], medial circumflex artery of thigh, medial femoral circumflex artery

medial circumflex femoral artery

an artery that passes medially around the shaft of the femur and near the margin of the adductor brevis, giving off a small branch, which enters the hip joint through the acetabular notch and anastomoses with the acetabular branch of the obturator artery, then divides into two major branches deep to the quadratus femoris muscle. One of these branches ascends to the trochanteric fossa and connects with branches of the gluteal and lateral circumflex femoral arteries. The other branch passes laterally to participate with other arteries to form an anastomotic network of vessels around the hip.

me·di·al cir·cum·flex fem·o·ral ar·te·ry

(mē'dē-ăl sĭr'kŭm-fleks fem'ŏr-ăl ahr'tĕr-ē) [TA]

Origin, profunda femoris; distribution, hip joint, muscles of thigh; anastomoses, inferior gluteal, superior gluteal, lateral circumflex femoral.
Synonym(s): arteria circumflexa femoris medialis, medial circumflex artery of thigh, medial femoral circumflex artery.