Neurovasculature of the hip and thigh (Anterior view)

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The anterior neurovasculature of the hip and thigh comprises the principal arteries, veins and nerves that traverse from the pelvis into the anterior and medial compartments of the thigh. In anterior view, the dominant vascular structures are continuations and branches of the external iliac vessels, while neural supply is derived predominantly from the lumbar plexus.

The external iliac artery passes deep to the inguinal ligament to continue as the femoral artery, which constitutes the primary arterial supply of the anterior thigh. Its largest and most clinically significant branch is the deep femoral artery (profunda femoris), which gives rise to the medial and lateral circumflex femoral arteries supplying the hip joint, proximal femur, and adjacent musculature. Additional superficial branches of the femoral artery include the superficial epigastric, superficial circumflex iliac and external pudendal arteries, which supply the superficial tissues of the inguinal region and anterior abdominal wall.

Venous drainage of the anterior thigh largely parallels the arterial pattern. The femoral vein represents the principal deep venous channel of the region and receives tributaries including the deep femoral vein and the medial and lateral circumflex femoral veins. Superficially, the great saphenous vein ascends within the superficial fascia of the medial thigh and terminates in the femoral vein at the saphenofemoral junction.

Innervation of the anterior hip and thigh is provided mainly by branches of the lumbar plexus (L1–L4). The femoral nerve is the largest nerve in this region and supplies the muscles of the anterior compartment of the thigh, while its terminal sensory branch, the saphenous nerve, provides cutaneous innervation to the medial leg. Additional nerves identifiable in anterior view include the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, obturator nerve, iliohypogastric nerve, ilioinguinal nerve and genitofemoral nerve.
The sciatic nerve may be visible proximally in this view; however, it does not contribute to the innervation of the anterior thigh compartments.

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Summary