The iliolumbar artery is the first branch of the posterior trunk of the

internal iliac artery The internal iliac artery (formerly known as the hypogastric artery) is the main artery of the pelvis. Structure The internal iliac artery supplies the walls and viscera of the pelvis, the buttock, the reproductive organs, and the medial compart ...

Structure

The iliolumbar artery is the first branch of the posterior trunk of the

. It turns upward behind the

obturator nerve The obturator nerve in human anatomy arises from the ventral divisions of the second, third, and fourth lumbar nerves in the lumbar plexus; the branch from the third is the largest, while that from the second is often very small. Structure The ob ...

and the

external iliac artery The external iliac arteries are two major Artery, arteries which bifurcate off the common iliac arteries anterior to the sacroiliac joint of the pelvis. Structure The external iliac artery arises from the bifurcation of the common iliac arter ...

and vein, to the medial border of the

psoas major muscle The psoas major ( or ; from grc, ψόᾱ, psóā, muscles of the loins) is a long fusiform muscle located in the lateral lumbar region between the vertebral column and the brim of the lesser pelvis. It joins the iliacus muscle to form the il ...

, behind which it divides into: *

Lumbar branch of iliolumbar artery The lumbar branch of the iliolumbar artery (ramus lumbalis) supplies the psoas major and quadratus lumborum, anastomoses with the last lumbar artery, and sends a small spinal branch through the intervertebral foramen between the last lumbar vertebr ...

Iliac branch of iliolumbar artery The iliac branch of the iliolumbar artery (ramus iliacus) descends to supply the iliacus muscle; some offsets, running between the muscle and the bone, anastomose with the iliac branches of the obturator artery; one of these enters an oblique ca ...

Anastomoses

*1. Last lumbar→iliolumbar *2. Lateral sacral↔lateral sacral *3. Middle sacral→lateral sacral *4. Superior hemorrhoidal→middle hemorrhoidal *5. Medial femoral circumflex→inferior gluteal *6. Medial femoral circumflex↔obturator *7. Lateral femoral circumflex→superior gluteal *8. Deep iliac circumflex→superior gluteal *9. Deep iliac circumflex→external iliac *10. Last lumbar→superior gluteal *11. Last lumbar→deep iliac circumflex *12. Iliolumbar→deep iliac circumflex.

Additional Images

File:Slide1z.JPG, Iliolumbar artery

References

External links

* * * * ()
Illustration at mrcog-wiseowl.com
Arteries of the abdomen {{circulatory-stub