The adductor canal (also known as the subsartorial canal or Hunter's canal) is an Aponeurosis tunnel in the middle third of the thigh giving passage to parts of the femoral artery, Femoral vein, and Femoral nerve.
Structure
The adductor canal extends from the apex of the
femoral triangle to the
adductor hiatus. It is an intermuscular cleft situated on the medial aspect of the middle third of the anterior compartment of the thigh, and has the following boundaries:
It is covered by a strong aponeurosis which extends from the vastus medialis, across the femoral vessels to the adductor longus and magnus. Lying on the aponeurosis is the sartorius (tailor's) muscle.
Contents
The canal contains the
femoral artery,
femoral vein, and branches of the
femoral nerve (specifically, the
saphenous nerve, and the nerve to the vastus medialis).
[ Page 1072] The femoral artery with its vein and the saphenous nerve enter this canal through the superior
foramen. Then, the saphenous nerve and artery and vein of genus descendens exit through the anterior foramen, piercing the vastoadductor intermuscular septum. Finally, the femoral artery and vein exit via the inferior foramen (usually called the
Adductor hiatus) through the inferior space between the oblique and medial heads of adductor magnus.
Clinical significance
The saphenous nerve may be compressed in the adductor canal.
The adductor canal may be accessed for a saphenous
nerve block, often used to treat pain caused by this compression.
History
The eponym "Hunter's canal" is named for John Hunter.
==Additional images==
External links
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- "Anterior and Medial Thigh Region: Sartorius Muscle and the Adductor Canal"
-
- "Anterior and Medial Thigh Region: Structures of the Adductor Canal"
