Lumbar arteries
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Matthew Lukies had no recorded disclosures.
View Matthew Lukies's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Charles Beames had no recorded disclosures.
View Charles Beames's current disclosures- Lumbar artery
The lumbar arteries are paired branches of the abdominal aorta arising in the lumbar region.
Gross anatomy
Origin
There are most commonly four paired lumbar arteries originating as posterolateral branches of the abdominal aorta on either side, at the level of L1-4.
Course
The paired arteries course posterolaterally along the vertebral bodies, the right-sided arteries posterior to the inferior vena cava (IVC), then pass under the tendinous arches of psoas major and sympathetic trunks. After crossing quadratus lumborum, the arteries enter the space between the transversus abdominis and internal oblique muscles. There are anastomoses with the lower intercostal, subcostal, iliolumbar, deep circumflex iliac, inferior epigastric and contralateral lumbar arteries.
Branches
Dorsal branches, which give rise to the spinal branches that enter the vertebral canal.
Supply
Dorsal muscles of the back, fascia, ligaments, vertebrae and intervertebral discs.
Variant anatomy
A smaller fifth pair of lumbar arteries may be present, arising from the median sacral artery. The lumbar arteries may arise from a common trunk.
References
- 1. Last's Anatomy. Churchill Livingstone. (2011) ISBN:0702033952. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Gray's Anatomy. Churchill Livingstone. (2011) ISBN:0443066841. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
Incoming Links
- Erector spinae group
- Intramural blood pool (aorta)
- Aortoiliac occlusive disease
- Psoas major muscle
- Subcostal artery
- Quadratus lumborum muscle
- Median sacral artery
- Posterior abdominal wall
- Intertransversarii muscle group
- Psoas minor muscle
- Endoleak
- Transversus abdominis muscle
- Artery of Adamkiewicz
- Interspinales muscles
- Spinal cord circulation
- Middle adrenal artery
- Sympathetic nervous system
- Transversospinalis muscle group
- IgG4-related arteritis and periarteritis
- Lumbar arteries
Related articles: Anatomy: Abdominopelvic
- skeleton of the abdomen and pelvis
- muscles of the abdomen and pelvis
- spaces of the abdomen and pelvis
- anterior abdominal wall
- posterior abdominal wall
- abdominal cavity
- pelvic cavity
- perineum
- abdominal and pelvic viscera
- gastrointestinal tract
- spleen
- hepatobiliary system
-
endocrine system
-
adrenal gland
- adrenal vessels
- chromaffin cells
- variants
- pancreas
- organs of Zuckerkandl
-
adrenal gland
-
urinary system
-
kidney
- renal pelvis
- renal sinus
- avascular plane of Brodel
-
variants
- number
- fusion
- location
- shape
- ureter
- urinary bladder
- urethra
- embryology
-
kidney
- male reproductive system
-
female reproductive system
- vulva
- vagina
- uterus
- adnexa
- Fallopian tubes
- ovaries
- broad ligament (mnemonic)
- variant anatomy
- embryology
- blood supply of the abdomen and pelvis
- arteries
-
abdominal aorta
- inferior phrenic artery
- coeliac artery
- superior mesenteric artery
- middle suprarenal artery
- renal artery (variant anatomy)
- gonadal artery (ovarian artery | testicular artery)
- inferior mesenteric artery
- lumbar arteries
- median sacral artery
-
common iliac artery
- external iliac artery
-
internal iliac artery (mnemonic)
- anterior division
- umbilical artery
- superior vesical artery
- obturator artery
- vaginal artery
- inferior vesical artery
- uterine artery
- middle rectal artery
-
internal pudendal artery
- inferior rectal artery
-
perineal artery
- posterior scrotal artery
- transverse perineal artery
- artery to the bulb
- deep artery of the penis/clitoris
- dorsal artery of the penis/clitoris
- inferior gluteal artery
- posterior division (mnemonic)
- variant anatomy
- anterior division
-
abdominal aorta
- portal venous system
- veins
- anastomoses
- arterioarterial anastomoses
- portal-systemic venous collateral pathways
- watershed areas
- arteries
- lymphatics
- innervation of the abdomen and pelvis
- thoracic splanchnic nerves
- lumbar plexus
-
sacral plexus
- lumbosacral trunk
- sciatic nerve
- superior gluteal nerve
- inferior gluteal nerve
- nerve to piriformis
- perforating cutaneous nerve
- posterior femoral cutaneous nerve
- parasympathetic pelvic splanchnic nerves
- pudendal nerve
- nerve to quadratus femoris and inferior gemellus muscles
- nerve to internal obturator and superior gemellus muscles
- autonomic ganglia and plexuses