CADAVERIC STUDY OF VARIATIONS IN BRANCHING PATTERN OF FEMORAL ARTERY AND  PROFUNDA FEMORIS ARTERY Sween Walia * 1 , Bhawani Shankar Modi 2 , Shikha Sharma 3 , G.S. Bindra 4 .   *1  Assistant Prof. Anatomy Dept. PIMS, Jalandhar, Punjab, India. 2  Demonstrator, Anatomy Dept. FHMC, Tundla, Uttar Pradesh, India. 3  Professor, Anatomy Dept. FHMC, Tundla, Uttar Pradesh, India. 4  Professor & Head, Anatomy Dept. FHMC, Tundla, Uttar Pradesh, India. Correspondence Address:   Dr. Sween Walia, Assistant Prof. Anatomy Dept. PIMS, Jalandhar, Punjab, India. E-Mail:  bhawanimodi.dr@gmail.com   ABSTRACT Introduction:   The   knowledge   of   the   variations   in   site   of   origin   and   course   of   the   profunda   femoris   artery   and   its   circumflex   branches   has   great   clinical importance during diagnostic imaging procedures as well as during surgeries that are performed in the femoral triangle. Materials   and   Methods :   We   dissected   48   femoral   triangles   in   24   human   cadavers   which   revealed   interesting   variations   apart   from   the   usual   description about these arteries that is available in standard anatomy textbooks. Results:    The   most   common   site   of   origin   of   profunda   femoris   artery   was   from   the   lateral   aspect   of   the   femoral   artery.   A   rare   variation   of   trifurcation   of   right femoral   artery   was   found.   The   distance   of   origin   of   profunda   femoris   from   the   midpoint   of   the   inguinal   ligament   on   the   right   and   left   side   commonly   placed between 21-30 mm. Discussion:    Variations   in   the   arterial   patterns   may   be   due   to   the   divergence   in   the   mode   and   proximo-distal   level   of   branching   or   aberrant   vessels   that connect   with   the   principal   vessels,   arcades   or   plexuses   during   the   development   of   the   blood   vessels.   Thus   the   knowledge   of   these   variations   can   be   of   great help to the surgeons in reducing the chances of intra-operative secondary haemorrhage and post-operative complications. KEY WORDS: Femoral Artery, Profunda Femoris Artery, Lateral Circumflex Artery, Medial Circumflex Artery. References 1 . GJ Romanes. Upper and Lower limbs. Cunningham's Manual of Practical Anatomy. Vol 1, 15 ed. OxfordUniversity Press, 1987:141. 2 . MB   Samarawickrama,   BG   Nanayakkara   et   al,   Branching   pattern   of   the   femoral   artery   at   the   femoral   triangle:   a   cadaver   study,   galle   medical   journal. 2009;14(1):31-34. 3 . Vishal   K,   Vinay   KV,   et   al,   Anatomical   variants   of   profunda   femoris   artery:   among   cadavers   from   south   India,   National   journal   of   clinical   anatomy 2014;3(1):8-11. 4 . Sinnatamby CS. Last’s Anatomy Regional and Applied. 10th Ed., Churchill Livingstone. 1999;114-115. 5 . SIDDHARTH P, SMITH NL, MASON RA, GIRON F, Variational anatomy of the deep femoral artery, Anat Rec, 1985;212(2):206–209. 6 . Prakash,   J.   Kumari,   Ak   Bhardwaj   et   al,   Variations   in   the   origins   of   the   profunda   femoris,   medial   and   lateral   femoral   circumflex   arteries:a   cadaver   study   in the Indian population, Romanian journal of morphology and embryology 2010;51(1):167-170 7 . VAAS F, Some considerations concerning the deep femoral artery, Arch Chir Neerl, 1975;27(1):25-34. 8 . DIXIT DP, MEHTA LA, KOTHARI ML, Variations in the origin and course of profunda femoris, J Anat Soc India, 2001;50(1):6-7. 9 . Susan Standring, Gray’s Anatomy; The  Anatomical Basis of Clinical practice, 40 edn, Elsivier Churchill Livingstone; 2005. pp.1480. 1 0 . Uzel   M,   Tanyeli   E,   Yildirim   M.   An   anatomical   study   of   the   origins   of   the   lateral   circumflex   femoral   artery   in   the   Turkish   population.   Folia   Morphol.   2008 Sep 30;67(4):226-30. 1 1 . BANNISTER   LH,   BERRY   MM,   COLLINS   P,   Cardiovascular   system.   In:   GRAY   H,   BANNISTER   LH,   BERRY   MM,   WILLIAMS   PL,   Gray’s   Anatomy:   the   anatomical basis of Medicine and Surgery, 38th edition, Churchill Livingstone, London, 1995;1566-1568. 12. SNELL RS, Clinical anatomy of medical student, 4th edition, Little Brown and Company, Boston, 1992:607.