Medical Gross Anatomy
Anatomy Tables - Arteries of the Back
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Medical Gross Anatomy |
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| Artery | Source | Branches | Supply to | Notes |
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| anterior radicular | they arise as multiple branches of several vessels (vertebral, posterior intercostal, lumbar, and lateral sacral aa.) | they accompany the ventral rootlets to reach the spinal cord | meninges; spinal cord; spinal nerve; ventral rootlets | anterior radicular aa. anastomose with the anterior spinal a. |
| anterior spinal | contributions received from several arteries (vertebral, posterior intercostal, subcostal, lumbar, lateral sacral aa.) | pial arterial plexus | meninges; spinal cord; medulla (dorsal motor nucleus of cranial nerve X, nucleus ambiguus, spinal accessory nucleus and hypoglossal nucleus) | anterior spinal a. anastomoses with the anterior radicular brs. of the spinal rami of the vertebral, posterior intercostal, subcostal, lumbar and lateral sacral aa. |
| axillary | subclavian a. (axillary a. is the continuation of the subclavian lateral to the 1st rib) | 1st part: superior thoracic a.; 2nd part: thoracoacromial a., lateral thoracic a.; 3rd part: anterior humeral circumflex a., posterior humeral circumflex a., subscapular a. | pectoral region, shoulder region and upper limb | pectoralis minor m. crosses anterior to the axillary artery and is used to delineate the 3 parts mentioned at left |
| cervical, ascending | inferior thyroid a. | unnamed muscular branches | deep muscles of the neck | ascending cervical a. ascends on the anterior surface of the anterior scalene m. beside the phrenic n. |
| cervical, deep | costocervical trunk | unnamed muscular branches | deep muscles of the posterior neck | deep cervical a. anastomoses with the occipital a. near the occipital bone |
| cervical, transverse | thyrocervical trunk | unnamed muscular branches, possibly the dorsal scapular a. | trapezius muscle and surrounding tissues | transverse cervical a. gives rise to the dorsal scapular a. ~30% of the time |
| costocervical trunk | subclavian a., 2nd part | deep cervical a., highest intercostal a. | deep muscles of the posterior neck; posterior ends of the first 2 intercostal spaces | costocervical trunk is located between the anterior scalene m. and the middle scalene m.; it arches posteriorly over the cervical parietal pleura |
| deep cervical | costocervical trunk | unnamed muscular branches | deep muscles of the posterior neck | deep cervical a. anastomoses with the occipital a. near the occipital bone |
| dorsal scapular | subclavian a., 3rd part | unnamed muscular branches | levator scapulae m., rhomboideus major m., rhomboideus minor m. | dorsal scapular a. anastomoses with the suprascapular a. and the subscapular a. to form the scapular anastomosis; dorsal scapular a is a branch of the transverse cervical a. in ~30% of cases |
| great anterior radicular | the spinal br. of the lower posterior intercostal a., subcostal a., or upper lumbar a., usually on left | no named branches | lower spinal cord | great anterior radicular a. anastomoses with the anterior spinal a. at lower thoracic or upper lumbar spinal cord levels |
| intercostal, posterior | highest intercostal (upper 2 intercostal spaces), descending thoracic aorta (3rd-11th intercostal spaces) | posterior br., spinal br., anterior br., collateral br., lateral cutaneous br. | intercostal muscles, spinal cord and vertebral column, deep back muscles, skin and superficial fascia overlying the intercostal spaces | posterior intercostal aa. supply the lateral and posterior portions of the intercostal space; anterior intercostal aa. supply the anterior portions of the intercostal spaces |
| lateral sacral | internal iliac a., posterior division | spinal brs. | sacrum, sacral nerve rootlets, meninges, adjacent muscles | there are usually 2 lateral sacral aa. on each side, a superior one and an inferior one |
| lumbar | abdominal aorta | anterior br., posterior br., spinal br. | psoas major m., psoas minor m., quadratus lumborum m., spinal cord and vertebral column, deep back muscles | the 4 lumbar arteries on each side arise from the posterior surface of the aorta at the level of vertebrae L1-L4; they course posterior to the psoas major m. |
| median sacral | abdominal aorta | 5th lumbar aa. | sacrum | median sacral a. appears to be the continuation of the abdominal aorta in the median plane, although it is much smaller in size |
| posterior radicular | they arise as multiple branches of several vessels (vertebral, posterior intercostal, lumbar, and lateral sacral aa.) | no named branches | meninges; spinal cord; spinal nerve; dorsal rootlets | posterior radicular aa. accompany the dorsal rootlets; they anastomose with the posterior spinal aa. |
| posterior spinal | contributions received from several arteries (posterior inferior cerebellar, vertebral, posterior intercostal, subcostal, lumbar, lateral sacral aa.) | pial arterial plexus | spinal cord, especially the dorsal columns; medulla (nucleus cuneatus and nucleus gracilis) | paired; posterior spinal aa. anastomose with the posterior radicular brs. of the spinal rami of the vertebral, posterior intercostal, subcostal, lumbar and lateral sacral aa. |
| radicular, anterior | they arise as multiple branches of several vessels (vertebral, posterior intercostal, lumbar, and lateral sacral aa.) | they accompany the ventral rootlets to reach the spinal cord | meninges; spinal cord; spinal nerve; ventral rootlets | anterior radicular aa. anastomose with the anterior spinal a. |
| radicular, great anterior | the spinal br. of the lower posterior intercostal a., subcostal a., or upper lumbar a., usually on left | no named branches | lower spinal cord | great anterior radicular a. anastomoses with the anterior spinal a. at lower thoracic or upper lumbar spinal cord levels |
| radicular, posterior | they arise as multiple branches of several vessels (vertebral, posterior intercostal, lumbar, and lateral sacral aa.) | no named branches | meninges; spinal cord; spinal nerve; dorsal rootlets | posterior radicular aa. accompany the dorsal rootlets; they anastomose with the posterior spinal aa. |
| sacral, lateral | internal iliac a., posterior division | spinal brs. | sacrum, sacral nerve rootlets, meninges, adjacent muscles | there are usually 2 lateral sacral aa. on each side, a superior one and an inferior one |
| sacral, median | abdominal aorta | 5th lumbar aa. | sacrum | median sacral a. appears to be the continuation of the abdominal aorta in the median plane, although it is much smaller in size |
| scapular, circumflex | subscapular a. | unnamed muscular branches | teres major m., teres minor m., infraspinatus m. | circumflex scapular a. anastomoses with the suprascapular a. and the dorsal scapular a. to form the scapular anastomosis |
| scapular, dorsal | subclavian a., 3rd part | unnamed muscular branches | levator scapulae m., rhomboideus major m., rhomboideus minor m. | dorsal scapular a. anastomoses with the suprascapular a. and the subscapular a. to form the scapular anastomosis; dorsal scapular a is a branch of the transverse cervical a. in ~30% of cases |
| spinal, anterior | contributions received from several arteries (vertebral, posterior intercostal, subcostal, lumbar, lateral sacral aa.) | pial arterial plexus | meninges; spinal cord; medulla (dorsal motor nucleus of cranial nerve X, nucleus ambiguus, spinal accessory nucleus and hypoglossal nucleus) | the anterior spinal a. anastomoses with the anterior radicular brs. of the spinal rami of the vertebral, posterior intercostal, subcostal, lumbar and lateral sacral aa. |
| spinal, posterior | contributions received from several arteries (posterior inferior cerebellar, vertebral, posterior intercostal, subcostal, lumbar, lateral sacral aa.) | pial arterial plexus | spinal cord, especially the dorsal columns; medulla (nucleus cuneatus and nucleus gracilis) | paired; posterior spinal aa. anastomose with the posterior radicular brs. of the spinal rami of the vertebral, posterior intercostal, subcostal, lumbar and lateral sacral aa. |
| thoracodorsal | subscapular a. | unnamed muscular branches | latissimus dorsi m. | thoracodorsal a. accompanies the thoracodorsal n. |
| transverse cervical | thyrocervical trunk | unnamed muscular branches, possibly the dorsal scapular a. | trapezius muscle and surrounding tissues | transverse cervical a. gives rise to the dorsal scapular a. ~30% of the time |
| trunk, costocervical | subclavian a., 2nd part | deep cervical a., highest intercostal a. | deep muscles of the posterior neck; posterior ends of the first 2 intercostal spaces | costocervical trunk is located between the anterior scalene m. and the middle scalene m.; it arches posteriorly over the cervical parietal pleura |
| trunk, thyrocervical | subclavian a., 1st part | inferior thyroid a., transverse cervical a., suprascapular a. | lower neck, posterior shoulder, thyroid gland | thyrocervical trunk does not give rise to the ascending cervical a.- it is a branch of the inferior thyroid a. |
| vertebral | subclavian a.(1st part) | spinal brs., muscular brs., anterior spinal a., posterior inferior cerebellar a., medullary brs., meningeal brs., basilar a. | deep neck, cervical spinal cord, spinal cord; medulla (dorsal motor nucleus of cranial nerve X, nucleus ambiguus, spinal accessory nucleus and hypoglossal nucleus) | vertebral a. anastomoses with the internal carotid a. in the cerebral arterial circle (of Willis); it courses through the transverse foramina of vertebrae C1-C6 |
| The material presented in these tables is
contained in the book: MedCharts Anatomy by Thomas R. Gest & Jaye Schlesinger Published by ILOC, Inc., New York Copyright © 1995, unauthorized use prohibited. |
The excellent editorial assistance of Dr. Pat Tank, UAMS is gratefully acknowledged. |
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| Copyright© 2000 The University of Michigan. Unauthorized use prohibited. |
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