20/07/2025
A couple days ago we reviewed the anatomy of the femoral canal. Let's apply that knowledge in clinical settings to femoral hernias!
As a quick recap, the femoral canal lies inferiorly to the inguinal ligament, and medially to the femoral vein. It's connected to the abdominal cavity through the femoral ring, which is about the size of the tip of the little finger.
Femoral hernias occur when the hernia sac, which might contain parts of the bowel, slips through the femoral ring into the femoral canal.
As the space in the femoral canal is limited, femoral hernias can often become irreducible and incarcerated and subsequently can cause bowel obstruction if there's a bowel located in the hernia sac.
In time, this type of hernia can become strangulated and cause bowel ischemia and necrosis.
