The femoral vein
Femoral vein · vena femoralis
The main deep vein of the thigh, running beside the femoral artery.
What it does
The femoral vein runs up the thigh beside the femoral artery and passes under the inguinal ligament to become the external iliac vein. In the groin it receives the great saphenous vein.
Surprising fact
In the groin the femoral vein lies just inside the artery, so nurses find the vein by feeling for the arterial pulse first.
Why it matters
Blood clots in the deep veins of the thigh, deep vein thrombosis, can break off and travel to the lungs, which is why swollen, painful legs need checking.
Nearby
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.