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# Deep femoral vein

The deep femoral vein drains the deep thigh muscles into the femoral vein, running in front of its artery.

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## What it is

A deep vein running with the deep femoral artery.

## What it does

Drains the deep thigh muscles into the femoral vein.

## Key points

- Lies in front of the deep femoral artery, unlike the femoral vessels above, where the vein is medial
- Its junction with the femoral vein, a few centimetres below the groin, marks where the common femoral vein begins
- Through the perforating veins it connects with the popliteal and inferior [gluteal veins](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/superior-gluteal-veins/), a collateral route when the femoral vein is blocked

## Key facts

**Drains**
Perforating and [circumflex femoral veins](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/medial-circumflex-femoral-veins/); deep thigh muscles

**Into**
Femoral vein, a few cm below [inguinal ligament](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/inguinal-ligament/)

## Relations

**Course**
Formed by the [perforating veins](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/perforating-veins/) along the back of the [femur](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/femur/), it rises in front of its artery and joins the back of the [femoral vein](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/femoral-vein/) in the femoral triangle

**Behind**
The [deep femoral artery](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/deep-femoral-artery/)

**In front**
The [adductor longus](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/adductor-longus/), separating it from the [femoral artery](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/femoral-artery/) and femoral vein

## How to find it

Not palpable. On ultrasound it is followed as the vein that joins the femoral vein from behind a few centimetres below the inguinal ligament; this junction is a standard checkpoint in a DVT scan.

## On imaging

Compression ultrasound checks it at its junction with the femoral vein, a few centimetres below the groin, as part of a standard DVT scan; a clot shows as a vein that does not compress. Lower down it lies in front of the deep femoral artery and is harder to follow, so it is often assessed only at its upper end. CT or MR venography is used when ultrasound is unclear.

## Clinical notes

- Because it keeps draining the thigh, the femoral vein can be harvested as a large conduit for arterial reconstruction when this junction is preserved
- A clot at its junction with the femoral vein counts as proximal DVT

## Related conditions

- [Deep vein thrombosis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/deep-vein-thrombosis/)

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## Into which vein does the deep femoral vein drain, and where?

Into the femoral vein, joining it from behind a few centimetres below the inguinal ligament, in the femoral triangle.

## How does the deep femoral vein lie relative to the deep femoral artery?

In front of it, unlike the femoral vessels higher up, where the vein lies medial to the artery.

## Why is a clot at the junction of the deep femoral vein and the femoral vein important on a DVT scan?

It counts as proximal DVT; this junction is a standard checkpoint on ultrasound.

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Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.

## Its names

**Official Latin (TA2)**
vena profunda femoris TA2 5070

**Official Spanish (DeCS)**
Vena femoral profunda

**English (TA2)**
Deep femoral vein

**Also called**
profunda femoris vein · deep vein of thigh

## Related

- [Femoral vein](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/femoral-vein/)
- [Deep femoral artery](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/deep-femoral-artery/)
- [Perforating veins](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/perforating-veins/)
- [Circumflex femoral veins](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/medial-circumflex-femoral-veins/)

Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); [Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis: Femoral Triangle](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541140/); [Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis: Femoral Sheath](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482388/).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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Source: https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/deep-femoral-vein/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/deep-femoral-vein/