ANATOMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RABBIT FEMORAL ARTERY AND THEIR APPLICATION TO FEMORAL ARTERY CATHETERIZATION

Abstract

Objectives: To describe the anatomical characteristics of the rabbit femoral artery and determine its suitability for femoral artery catheterization.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 32 femoral regions from 16 fresh adult New Zealand White rabbit cadavers. The vascular system was injected with latex, followed by dissection and anatomical measurements using standardized imaging. Catheterization was performed on 30 femoral arteries from 15 adult rabbit cadavers (not overlapping with the anatomical study samples), divided into three groups corresponding to the intervention sites: proximal segment, middle segment, and distal segment; intervention outcomes were evaluated. The study was conducted from March 2026 to May 2026 at the Department of Anatomy, Military Medical University.

Results: The femoral artery originated from the external iliac artery in 100% of cases. The diameter decreased from the proximal segment (1,497 ± 0,248 mm) to the distal segment (0,763 ± 0,195mm). The middle segment had the greatest length (22,605 ± 2,347 mm). The depth increased from 2.851 ± 0.550 mm to 7.012 ± 1.152 mm. No statistically significant difference was observed between the left and right sides (p > 0.05). The catheterization success rate was highest in the proximal segment (100.0%) and gradually decreased in the middle (80.0%) and distal segments (60.0%), with the difference being statistically significant (p = 0.048). The access time and number of puncture attempts increased progressively from the proximal to the distal segment (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The rabbit femoral artery has stable morphological characteristics and small caliber, with the proximal segment being the optimal site for catheterization.