A 70-year-old woman presents with a tender irreducible swelling in the upper medial thigh just below the inguinal ligament, medial to the femoral vein. The femoral canal contains which structures from medial to lateral (mnemonic NAVY)?

• A Vein, Artery, Nerve, Y-fronts (empty space)
• B Nerve, Artery, Vein, Y-fronts (empty space) ✓
• C Artery, Vein, Nerve, Lymphatics
• D Lymphatics, Nerve, Artery, Vein

Explanation

The femoral sheath contains from medial to lateral: the femoral canal (with lymphatics and Cloquet's node — 'N'), femoral vein ('V'), femoral artery ('A'), and the femoral nerve lies outside the sheath laterally ('Y' = why — it's outside). The NAVY mnemonic (lateral to medial) places: Nerve (outside sheath), Artery, Vein, Y (empty femoral canal). The femoral hernia enters through the femoral ring medially, which explains its high strangulation risk given the rigid boundaries.

Reference: Bailey & Love's Short Practice of Surgery, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.