Definition

Noun: 1. A major vein of the leg: The vena femoralis (femoral vein) is a large blood vessel that carries deoxygenated blood from the lower limb back toward the heart. It runs alongside the femoral artery within the same protective sheath in the upper thigh.

Usage

The term vena femoralis is the formal anatomical name, primarily used in medical, scientific, and academic contexts. In general and clinical English, it is almost always referred to as the femoral vein. - The surgeon carefully dissected the tissue to expose the vena femoralis. - A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was detected in the femoral vein.

Advanced Usage

• Anatomical Relationships: The is a continuation of the popliteal vein (behind the knee) and becomes the external iliac vein as it passes under the inguinal ligament into the pelvis.
• Clinical Significance: It is a common site for the insertion of central venous catheters and a critical vessel assessed in vascular surgery and ultrasound examinations for blood clots.

Variants and Related Words

• Femoral vein (n): The common English term for .
• Femoral (adj): Pertaining to the femur (thigh bone) or the region of the thigh. Example: .
• Popliteal vein (n): The vein behind the knee that continues as the femoral vein.
• External iliac vein (n): The vein into which the femoral vein continues in the pelvis.

Synonyms

• Femoral vein: The direct and most frequently used synonym in all contexts outside of strict anatomical Latin nomenclature.

Noun

1. a vein that accompanies the femoral artery in the same sheath; a continuation of the popliteal vein; becomes the external iliac vein