Femoral artery

Looks like

The main artery of the leg, felt pulsing in the groin crease.

What it does

Feeds the whole leg, and is the doorway for heart catheters.

Keeping it well

No smoking, walk daily; pain in the calf on walking that stops with rest is this artery narrowing.

Its parts

• Right femoral artery
• Right popliteal artery
• Left femoral artery
• Left popliteal artery

Related conditions

• Chronic venous insufficiency
• Erectile dysfunction
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Hypothermia & frostbite
• Kawasaki disease
• Lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis)
• Lymphoedema
• Metabolic syndrome
• Orthostatic hypotension & POTS
• Peripheral artery disease
• Phaeochromocytoma & hyperaldosteronism
• Polymyalgia rheumatica
• Pre-eclampsia
• Raynaud's phenomenon
• Restless legs syndrome
• Sepsis
• Shock (circulatory failure)
• Varicose veins
• Vasculitis (GCA & others)