Assessment of Femoral Artery Bifurcation Level with Conventional Angiography

Introduction The common femoral artery (CFA) is the optimal access point for femoral arterial puncture. A higher or lower puncture can result in various vascular complications and by the proper definition of the femoral arterial bifurcation level and the optimal puncture point such complications can potentially be avoided. In the literature, little data is available about the frequency of femoral artery bifurcation and the relationship between the bifurcation level of one artery and its contralateral counterpart in our part of the world. Methods We performed a prospective study from April 2016 to September 2016 to define the frequency of bifurcation of the CFA in relation to the femoral head and the relationship between bilateral CFA bifurcations, with bilateral femoral angiography on 579 patients undergoing routine coronary angiography. Results The frequency of normal/low, high, and very high femoral bifurcations was 66%, 26%, and 8%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the bifurcation of CFA between the two sides (p = 0.51). A specific bifurcation level on one side significantly increased the likelihood of the same bifurcation level on the contralateral side (odds ratio (OR) = 151.86 (51.39-448.77)). A multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed age, race, gender, height and weight, body surface area (BSA), and body mass index (BMI) were not predictive of any specific bifurcation level on either side. Conclusions The majority (two-thirds) of the individuals in the study population were with normal/low femoral bifurcation with no significant difference in bifurcation level on either side.