The dorsal artery of the penis is an artery on the top surface of the

penis A penis (plural ''penises'' or ''penes'' () is the primary sexual organ that male animals use to inseminate females (or hermaphrodites) during copulation. Such organs occur in many animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, but males do n ...

. It is a branch of the

internal pudendal artery The internal pudendal artery is one of the three pudendal arteries. It branches off the internal iliac artery, and provides blood to the external genitalia. Structure The internal pudendal artery is the terminal branch of the anterior trunk of t ...

. It runs forward on the dorsum of the penis to the

glans The glans (, plural "glandes" ; from the Latin word for "acorn") is a vascular structure located at the tip of the penis in male mammals or a homologous genital structure of the clitoris in female mammals. Structure The exterior structure ...

, where it divides into two branches to the

glans penis In male human anatomy, the glans penis, commonly referred to as the glans, is the bulbous structure at the distal end of the human penis that is the human male's most sensitive erogenous zone and their primary anatomical source of sexual p ...

and the

foreskin In male human anatomy, the foreskin, also known as the prepuce, is the double-layered fold of skin, mucosal and muscular tissue at the distal end of the human penis that covers the glans and the urinary meatus. The foreskin is attached to the g ...

(prepuce). The dorsal artery of the penis supplies the integument and fibrous sheath of the

corpus cavernosum penis A corpus cavernosum penis (singular) (literally "cave-like body" of the penis, plural corpora cavernosa) is one of a pair of sponge-like regions of erectile tissue, which contain most of the blood in the penis during an erection. Such a corpus ...

, the

, and the skin of the distal shaft. It also branches with circumflex arteries that supply the

corpus spongiosum The corpus spongiosum is the mass of spongy tissue surrounding the male urethra within the penis. It is also called the corpus cavernosum urethrae in older texts. Anatomy The proximal part of the corpus spongiosum is expanded to form the uret ...

. Its role in

erectile function An erection (clinically: penile erection or penile tumescence) is a physiological phenomenon in which the penis becomes firm, engorged, and enlarged. Penile erection is the result of a complex interaction of psychological, neural, vascular, a ...

is unknown. The dorsal artery of the penis may be damaged in traumatic amputation of the penis and repairing the dorsal artery surgically prevents skin loss, but it is not essential for sexual and urinary function. Its

hemodynamics Hemodynamics or haemodynamics are the dynamics of blood flow. The circulatory system is controlled by homeostatic mechanisms of autoregulation, just as hydraulic circuits are controlled by control systems. The hemodynamic response continuously mo ...

and

blood pressure Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels. Most of this pressure results from the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system. When used without qualification, the term "blood pressure" r ...

can be assessed to test for sexual impairment.

Structure

The dorsal artery of the penis is a branch of the

. It ascends between the

crus penis For their anterior three-fourths the corpora cavernosa penis lie in intimate apposition with one another, but behind they diverge in the form of two tapering processes, known as the crura, which are firmly connected to the ischial rami. Traced ...

and the

pubic symphysis The pubic symphysis is a secondary cartilaginous joint between the left and right superior rami of the pubis of the hip bones. It is in front of and below the urinary bladder. In males, the suspensory ligament of the penis attaches to the pubic ...

of the

pelvis The pelvis (plural pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis, or pelvic skeleton). The ...

. As it pierces the

perineal membrane The perineal membrane is an anatomical term for a fibrous membrane in the perineum. The term "inferior fascia of urogenital diaphragm", used in older texts, is considered equivalent to the perineal membrane. It is the superior border of the su ...

, it passes between the two layers of the

suspensory ligament of the penis The suspensory ligament of the penis is attached to the pubic symphysis, which holds the penis close to the pubic bone and supports it when erect. The ligament does not directly connect to the Corpus cavernosum penis, but may still play a role in ...

. It runs forward on the dorsum of the

to the

. At the glans, it divides into two branches to the

and the

(prepuce). On the penis, it lies between the dorsal nerve and deep dorsal vein. The dorsal artery give perforators to the

. It sends branches through the fibrous sheath of the corpus cavernosum penis to

anastomose An anastomosis (, plural anastomoses) is a connection or opening between two things (especially cavities or passages) that are normally diverging or branching, such as between blood vessels, leaf veins, or streams. Such a connection may be normal ...

with the

deep artery of the penis The deep artery of the penis (artery to the corpus cavernosum), one of the terminal branches of the internal pudendal, arises from that vessel while it is situated between the two fasciæ of the urogenital diaphragm (deep perineal pouch). It pier ...

. It anastomoses with the

artery of bulb of penis The artery of bulb of penis (artery of the urethral bulb or bulbourethral artery) is a short artery of large caliber which arises from the internal pudendal artery between the two layers of fascia (the superior and inferior) of the urogenital dia ...

Function

The dorsal artery of the penis supplies the fibrous sheath of the

. It gives branches to the

, and the

(prepuce). Through retrograde flow they help supply the

skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other cuticle, animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have diffe ...

of the distal shaft. It also gives branches to the circumflex arteries that supply the

. The dorsal artery of the penis gives perforators to the

. Despite this, their contribution to erectile function is inconsistent.

Clinical significance

Trauma

The dorsal artery of the penis may be damaged during traumatic amputation of the

. Failure to perform re-anastomosis of the dorsal artery (with

surgery Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pat ...

) leads to skin loss.

Sexual impairment

Sexual impairment in men may be assessed with a small

blood pressure cuff A sphygmomanometer ( ), a blood pressure monitor, or blood pressure gauge, is a device used to measure blood pressure, composed of an inflatable cuff to collapse and then release the artery under the cuff in a controlled manner, and a mercury ...

to assess

and

Additional images

File:Penvein.png, Arteries and veins of the penis (Spanish) File:Gray588.png, The penis in transverse section, showing the blood vessels. File:Gray1158.png, Diagram of the arteries of the penis. File:Penis cross section.svg, Cross section of penis

References

External links

* - "Cross-section of the penis." * * () * * {{Authority control Arteries of the abdomen Human penis anatomy