Abdominal aorta (dave's notes)

Question 1

How does the aorta enter the intraabdominal cavity?

Answer 1

The aorta passes behind the median arcuate ligament and the diaphragmatic crura at T12, inclining slightly to the left.

Question 2

At what level does the aorta bifurcate into the common iliac arteries?

Answer 2

T4

Question 3

What is found on the left margin of the aorta?

Answer 3

The left sympathetic trunk

Question 4

What is found between the coeliac trunk and the origin of the SMA?

Answer 4

The splenic vein and the body of the pancreas

Question 5

What is found between the SMA and the IMA?

Answer 5

The left renal vein, the uncinate process of the pancreas, D3

Question 6

What eight groups of branches originate from the abdominal aorta?

Answer 6

Median sacral artery
Single ventral arteries
Paired visceral branches
Paired branches to the anterior abdominal wall
Common iliac arteries
The external iliac artery
The internal iliac artery

Question 7

What are the single ventral arteries arising from the aorta?

Answer 7

Coeliac trunk, SMA, IMA

Question 8

What are the three groups of paired visceral branches from the aorta?

Answer 8

Suprarenal
Renal
Gonadal

Question 9

Where are the suprarenal paired visceral branches found?

Answer 9

Between the inferior phrenic and renal branches. These run laterally across the crus.

Question 10

What does the right suprarenal artery cross?

Answer 10

The right suprarenal artery crosses the crus, the IVC, and the ??bare area of the liver

Question 11

Where is the left suprarenal artery found?

Answer 11

The left suprarenal artery is shorter than the right. It is found behind the posterior wall of the lesser sac

Question 12

Where do the renal arteries arise?

Answer 12

At L2, each artery gives off a small suprarenal branch.

Question 13

What does the right renal artery cross?

Answer 13

Longer than the left, the right renal artery crosses the right crus, and psoas, BEHIND IVC

Question 14

What does the left renal artery cross?

Answer 14

The left renal artery is shorter than the right, crossing the crus and psoas

Question 15

Where do the gonadal arteries arise?

Answer 15

The gonadal arteries arise near the front o the aorta below the renal arteries.

Question 16

What is the course of the gonadal arteries?

Answer 16

The gonadal arteries sweep steeply downwards over spoas, crossing the ureter and applying the middle 1/3rd of ???

Question 17

What crosses the gonadal vessels?

Answer 17

The colic vessels and peritoneum

Question 18

Regarding the gonadal vessels, what occurs at the pelvic brim

Answer 18

The gonadal vessels reach the pelvic brim half way between the SI joint and the inguinal ligament. The male testicular artery passes along the pelvic brim above EIA to enter deep inguinal ring. The female ovarian artery crosses the pelvic brim and enters the suspensory ligament to the ovary and tube.

Question 19

What are the subcostal arteries branches of?

Answer 19

The thoracic aorta. ?They enter beneath the lateral arcuate ligament

Question 20

Where are the subcostal arteries found?

Answer 20

Beneath the subcostal vein and nerve, supplying the anterior abdominal wall.

Question 21

Where does the inferior phrenic nerve leave the aorta?

Answer 21

Gently sloping upwards over the crus to the diaphragm. These give off small suprarenal branches.

Question 22

Where do the lumbar arteries leave the aorta?

Answer 22

4 lumbar arteries leave the aorta opposite the bodies of L1-L4, passing beneath the lumbar sympathetic trunks.

Question 23

What do the lumbar arteries give off

Answer 23

The lumbar arteries give off posterior and spinal branches passing laterally through psoas

Question 24

What is the artery of L5?

Answer 24

The iliolumbar artery, arising from the internal iliac artery and ascending from there

Question 25

Where are the common iliac arteries formed?

Answer 25

The sympathetic At the bifurcation of the aorta at L4 left of the midline. Each passes to the SI joint. NOTE that the ureter lies in front of the bifurcation (does he mean into iia and e iliac???)

Question 26

What crosses both common iliac arteries?

Answer 26

Crossed by sympathetic contributions to the SH plexus.

Question 27

What covers the left IMA?

Answer 27

IMA and IMV

Question 28

How is the external iliac artery orientated?

Answer 28

As a continuation of the common iliac artery

Question 29

What branch is given of the external iliac artery near the inguinal ligament?

Answer 29

The inferior epigastric artery. “Feature”?? of the deep inguinal ring.

Question 30

What runs above the inguinal ligament?

Answer 30

The deep circumflex iliac artery

Question 31

Internal iliac arteries

Answer 31

see pelvis.