Cruciate anastomosis

The cruciate anastomosis is a circulatory anastomosis in the upper thigh of the inferior gluteal artery, the lateral and medial circumflex femoral arteries, and the first perforating artery of the profunda femoris artery. Also, the anastomotic branch of the posterior branch of the obturator artery.^[1] The cruciate anastomosis is clinically relevant because if there is a blockage between the femoral artery and external iliac artery, blood can reach the popliteal artery by means of the anastomosis. The route of blood is through the internal iliac, to the inferior gluteal artery, to a perforating branch of the deep femoral artery, to the lateral circumflex femoral artery, then to its descending branch into the superior lateral genicular artery and thus into the popliteal artery.

Structure

The cruciate anastomosis is so-called because it resembles a cross. Its four components are:

• Inferior gluteal artery
• Lateral circumflex femoral artery (transverse branch of)
• Medial circumflex femoral artery (transverse branch of)
• First perforating artery from profunda femoris (ascending branch of)

See also

• Trochanteric anastomosis

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 620 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)