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Information about Abdominal Aorta

Artery: Abdominal aorta
The abdominal aorta and its branches.
Latinpars abdominalis aortae, aorta abdominalis
subject #154 602
Sourcethoracic aorta
Branchesceliac artery, superior mesenteric artery, inferior mesenteric artery, 7 others
MeSH Aorta,+Abdominal
Dorlands/Elsevier p_07/12616144
The abdominal aorta is the largest artery in the abdominal cavity. As part of the aorta, it is a direct continuation of descending aorta (of the thorax).

Path

It begins at the level of the diaphragm, crossing it via the aortic hiatus at the vertebral level of T12. It travels down the posterior wall of the abdomen in front of the vertebral column. It thus follows the curvature of the lumbar vertebrae, that is, convex forward. The peak of this convexity is at the level of the third lumbar vertebra (L3).

It runs parallel to the inferior vena cava, which is located just to the right of the abdominal aorta, and becomes smaller in diameter as it gives off branches.

Branches

The abdominal aorta supplies blood to much of the abdominal cavity. It begins at T12, and usually has the following branches:

BranchVertebraTypePaired?A/PDescription
inferior phrenicT12Parietalyespost.originates just below the diaphragm, supplying it from below
celiacT12Visceralnoant.large anterior branch
superior mesentericL1Visceralnoant.large anterior branch, arises just below celiac trunk
middle suprarenalL1Visceralyespost.to adrenal gland
renalL2Visceralyespost.large artery, each arising from the side of the aorta; supplies corresponding kidney
gonadalL2Visceralyespost.ovarian artery in females; testicular artery in males
lumbarL1-L4Parietalyespost.four on each side that supply the abdominal wall and spinal cord
inferior mesentericL3Visceralnoant.large anterior branch
median sacralL4Parietalnopost.artery arising from the middle of the aorta at its lowest part
common iliacL4Terminalyespost.branches (bifurcates) to supply blood to the lower limbs and the pelvis, ending the abdominal aorta


Note that the bifurcation (union) of the inferior vena cava is at L5 and therefore below that of the bifurcation of the aorta.

Relations

The abdominal aorta lies slightly to the left of the midline of the body. It is covered, anteriorly, by the lesser omentum and stomach, behind which are the branches of the celiac artery and the celiac plexus; below these, by the lienal vein, the pancreas, the left renal vein, the inferior part of the duodenum, the mesentery, and aortic plexus.

Posteriorly, it is separated from the lumbar vertebræ and intervertebral fibrocartilages by the anterior longitudinal ligament and left lumbar veins.

On the right side it is in relation above with the azygos vein, cisterna chyli, thoracic duct, and the right crus of the diaphragm—the last separating it from the upper part of the inferior vena cava, and from the right celiac ganglion; the inferior vena cava is in contact with the aorta below.

On the left side are the left crus of the diaphragm, the left celiac ganglion, the ascending part of the duodenum, and some coils of the small intestine.

Relationship with inferior vena cava

The abominal aorta's venous counterpart, the inferior vena cava (IVC), travels parallel to it on its right side.
  • Above the level of the umbilicus, the aorta is somewhat posterior to the IVC, sending the right renal artery travelling behind it. The IVC likewise sends its opposite side counterpart, the left renal vein, crossing in front of the aorta.
  • Below the level of the umbilicus, the situation is generally reversed, with the aorta sending its right common iliac artery to cross its opposite side counterpart (the left common iliac vein) anteriorly.

Collateral circulation

The collateral circulation would be carried on by the anastomoses between the internal thoracic artery and the inferior epigastric artery; by the free communication between the superior and inferior mesenterics, if the ligature were placed between these vessels; or by the anastomosis between the inferior mesenteric artery and the internal pudendal artery, when (as is more common) the point of ligature is below the origin of the inferior mesenteric artery; and possibly by the anastomoses of the lumbar arteries with the branches of the internal iliac artery.

Additional images


The celiac artery and its branches; the stomach has been raised and the peritoneum removed.

Transverse section through the middle of the first lumbar vertebra, showing the relations of the pancreas.


See also

External links

Latin}}} 
Official status
Official language of: Vatican City
Used for official purposes, but not spoken in everyday speech
Regulated by: Opus Fundatum Latinitas
Roman Catholic Church
Language codes
ISO 639-1: la
ISO 639-2: lat
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The thoracic aorta is contained in the posterior mediastinal cavity.

It begins at the lower border of the fourth thoracic vertebra where it is continuous with the aortic arch, and ends in front of the lower border of the twelfth thoracic vertebra, at the aortic hiatus in
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The celiac artery, also known as the celiac trunk and also spelled as coeliac, is the first major branch of the abdominal aorta and branches from the aorta around the level of the T12 vertebra in humans.
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In human anatomy, the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) arises from the anterior surface of the abdominal aorta, just inferior to the origin of the celiac trunk, and supplies the intestine from the lower part of the duodenum to the left colic flexure and the pancreas.
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In human anatomy, the inferior mesenteric artery, often abbreviated as IMA, supplies the large intestine from the left colic (or splenic) flexure to the upper part of the rectum, which includes the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, and part of the rectum.
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Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) is a huge controlled vocabulary (or metadata system) for the purpose of indexing journal articles and books in the life sciences. Created and updated by the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), it is used by the MEDLINE/PubMed
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Elsevier, the world's largest publisher of medical and scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group. Based in Amsterdam, the company has substantial operations in the UK, USA and elsewhere.
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Arteries are muscular blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.[1] All arteries, with the exception of the pulmonary and umbilical arteries, carry oxygenated blood.

The circulatory system is extremely important for sustaining life.
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The abdominal cavity is the body cavity of the human body (and other animal bodies) that holds the bulk of the viscera and which is located below (or inferior to) the thoracic cavity, and above the pelvic cavity.
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The aorta (generally pronounced [eɪˈɔːtə] or "ay-orta") is the largest artery in the human body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and bringing oxygenated blood to all parts of the body in the systemic circulation.
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The descending aorta is divided into two portions, the thoracic and abdominal, in correspondence with the two great cavities of the trunk in which it is situated.

Additional images




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diaphragm is a sheet of muscle extending across the bottom of the ribcage. The diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity and performs an important function in respiration.
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The aortic hiatus is a hole in the human diaphragm through which the aorta and thoracic duct passes from the thorax into the abdomen. It is the lowest and most posterior of the large apertures.

It is located approximately at the level of the twelfth thoracic vertebra (T12).
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The inferior vena cava (or IVC) is the large vein that carries de-oxygenated blood from the lower half of the body into the heart.

It is posterior to the abdominal cavity and runs along side of the vertebral column on its right side (i.e. it is a retroperitoneal structure).
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The inferior phrenic arteries are two small vessels, which supply the diaphragm but present much variety in their origin.

They may arise separately from the front of the aorta, immediately above the celiac artery, or by a common trunk, which may spring either from the aorta
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The celiac artery, also known as the celiac trunk and also spelled as coeliac, is the first major branch of the abdominal aorta and branches from the aorta around the level of the T12 vertebra in humans.
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In human anatomy, the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) arises from the anterior surface of the abdominal aorta, just inferior to the origin of the celiac trunk, and supplies the intestine from the lower part of the duodenum to the left colic flexure and the pancreas.
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The middle suprarenal arteries (middle capsular arteries; suprarenal arteries) are two small vessels which arise, one from either side of the abdominal aorta, opposite the superior mesenteric artery.
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In mammals, the adrenal glands (also known as suprarenal glands) are the triangle-shaped endocrine glands that sit on top of the kidneys; their name indicates that position (ad-, "near" or "at" + -renes, "kidneys").
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The renal arteries normally arise off the side of the abdominal aorta, immediately below the superior mesenteric artery, and supply the kidneys with blood. Each is directed across the crus of the diaphragm, so as to form nearly a right angle with the aorta.
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The term gonadal artery is a generic term for a paired artery, with one arising from the abdominal aorta for each gonad. Specifically, it can refer to:
  • the testicular artery in males
  • the ovarian artery in females

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In human anatomy, the ovarian artery is a blood vessel that supplies oxygenated blood to the ovary. It arises from the abdominal aortic artery below the renal artery, and does not pass out of the abdominal cavity. It can be found in the suspensory ligament of the ovary.
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The testicular artery (the male gonadal artery, also called the internal spermatic arteries in older texts) is a branch of the abdominal aorta that supplies blood to the testis. It is a paired artery, with one for each of the testes.
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The lumbar arteries are in series with the intercostals.

They are usually four in number on either side, and arise from the back of the aorta, opposite the bodies of the upper four lumbar vertebræ.
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The abdominal wall represents the boundaries of the abdominal cavity. The abdominal wall is split into the posterior (back), lateral (sides) and anterior (front) walls.
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spinal chord is a thin, tubular bundle of nerves that is an extension of the central nervous system from the brain and is enclosed in and protected by the bony vertebral column.
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In human anatomy, the inferior mesenteric artery, often abbreviated as IMA, supplies the large intestine from the left colic (or splenic) flexure to the upper part of the rectum, which includes the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, and part of the rectum.
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The median sacral artery (or middle sacral artery) is a small vessel, which arises from the back of the aorta, a little above its bifurcation.

It descends in the middle line in front of the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebræ, the sacrum and coccyx, and ends in the
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The common iliac arteries are two large arteries, about 4cm long in adults but more than a centimetre in diameter, that originate from the aortic bifurcation and terminate when bifurcating into the external iliac artery and internal iliac artery.
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A leg is the part of an animal's body that supports the rest of the animal above the ground between the ankle and the hip and is used for locomotion. The end of the leg furthest from the animal's body is often either modified or attached to another structure that is
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