Iliac Artery | Angiology

Written by Anjani Mishra

Iliac artery-External and internal iliac arteries

Internal iliac arteries

Are large vessels that pass caudally and somewhat laterally ventral to the wing of the sacrum towards the pelvic cavity.

Origin- It arises or bifurcates under the 5^th or 6^th lumbar vertebra.

Branches-

Umbilical artery
Iliolumbar/iliomuscular artery
Cranial gluteal artery
Uro-genital artery
Caudal gluteal artery
Obturator artery
Internal pudendal artery

1. Umbilical artery

Origin- arises from the ventral surface of the internal iliac artery. It is very large vessels in fetus.

Branches-

a. The diferential artery- supplies ductus deferens in the male

b. The uterine artery- supplies the uterus

c. The ureteric artery- supplies the ureter

d. The cranial vesicular artery- supplies the cranial aspect of urinary bladder

2. Iliolumbar/iliomuscular artery- psoas major and iliacus muscle

3. Cranial gluteal artery- gluteus medius, profundus, gluteobiceps

4. Uro-genital artery- (male and female)

Male

a. The caudal vesicular artery- caudal aspect of urinary bladder

b. The prostatic artery- prostate gland

c. The urethral branch- major part of pelvic urethra

i. Middle rectal artery- spincter ani externus

ii. Dorsal perineal artery- skin of perineal region

Female (divides into cranial and caudal branch)

a. Cranial branch

i. The uterine branch

· The caudal vesicular artery- neck of urinary bladder

· The urethral branch- major part of pelvic urethra

b. Caudal branch

i. Dorsal perineal artery- rectum and clitoris

ii. Caudal labial branch- vulva

iii. Caudal rectal artery- caudal segment of rectum

5. Caudal gluteal artery- gluteobiceps, gemelli muscles

6. Obturator artery- intra-pelvic part of obturator externus and adductor

7. Internal pudendal artery (male and female)

Male

a. The caudal rectal artery- wall of rectum

b. The ventral perineal artery- perineal region

c. The artery of the penis

i. The artery of the bulb- bulb of penis

ii. The deep artery of the penis- corpus cavernosum penis

iii. The dorsal artery of the penis- dorsum of the penis to the glans

Female

a. Ventral perineal artery- cutaneous branch of perineal region, mammary gland

b. Artery of the clitoris

i. Deep artery of the clitoris- crus of clitoris

ii. Dorsal artery of the clitoris- clitoris

External iliac arteries

Origin- Arises from the abdominal aorta ventral to the body of the 6^th vertebra, but it may separate at the junction of the 4^th and 5^th lumbar vertebra in ox.

Branches-

Deep circumflex iliac artery
Deep femoral artery
Lateral circumflex femoral artery
Caudal femoral artery
Genicular artery
Saphenous artery
Popliteal artery

Fig: External iliac artery

1. Deep circumflex iliac artery- abdominal muscles

2. Deep femoral artery

a. Pudendoepigastric artery

i. The caudal deep epigastric- obliquus internus, rectus abdominis

ii. The external pudendal artery

Male- scrotum, prepuce, penis, tunica vaginalis

Female- mammary gland

b. The medial circumflex femoral artery

3. Lateral circumflex femoral artery

a. The ascending branch- vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, iliacus, tensor fascia latae

b. The descending branch- rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius

4. Caudal femoral artery- gluteobiceps, vastus lateralis, flexor digitorum superficialis

5. Genicular artery- Sartorius, semimembranosus, quadriceps femoris, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius

6. Saphenous artery

a. The medial planter artery- fascia and skin of tarsus

b. The planter metatarsal artery- metatarsal region

c. Planter common digital artery- digits region

7. Popliteal artery

a. Cranial tibial artery- tibialis cranialis

b. Caudal tibial artery- flexor digitorum profundus and superficialis, popliteus

Median sacral artery- Median coccygeal artery

Continuation of the abdominal aorta in the sacrocaudal region. It is about 5 mm in diameter.

It arises as an unpaired vessel from the dorsal aspect of the abdominal aorta between the two internal iliac arteries.

It courses caudally along the pelvic surface of the sacrum and, beyond the first coccygeal vertebra continues as median coccygeal (caudal) artery.

It releases paired segmental branches that pass through ventral sacral foramina to supply the meninges and spinal cord and emerge through the dorsal sacral foramina supplying the epaxial muscles of the sacrocaudal region.

The last sacral branch of both sides may arise together by a common trunk. It passes dorso-caudally between the last sacrum and first caudal vertebrae and giving off the dorsal and ventral branch that supplies the muscles of this region.

At about the level of first caudal vertebra the median sacral artery continues as the median caudal artery along the ventral surface of the entire length of the tail.

It courses inside the vascular groove enclosed by the hemal processes, which sometimes fused, forming hemal arches.

At regular intervals along its course, it releases paired segmental branches. They arise near the middle of each caudal vertebra and course dorsally and caudally, giving off the ventral and dorsal branches.

These branches anastomose with the corresponding adjacent ones constituting the ventrolateral caudal and dorsolateral caudal arteries. They course along the ventral and dorsal aspect of the transverse processes of the caudal vertebrae.