The deep circumflex iliac artery (or deep iliac circumflex artery) is an

artery An artery (plural arteries) () is a blood vessel in humans and most animals that takes blood away from the heart to one or more parts of the body (tissues, lungs, brain etc.). Most arteries carry oxygenated blood; the two exceptions are the pu ...

in 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 ...

that travels along the

iliac crest The crest of the ilium (or iliac crest) is the superior border of the wing of ilium and the superiolateral margin of the greater pelvis. Structure The iliac crest stretches posteriorly from the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) to the poster ...

of the

pelvic bone The hip bone (os coxae, innominate bone, pelvic bone or coxal bone) is a large flat bone, constricted in the center and expanded above and below. In some vertebrates (including humans before puberty) it is composed of three parts: the ilium, isch ...

Course

The deep circumflex iliac artery arises from the lateral aspect of the

external iliac artery The external iliac arteries are two major 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 artery. Th ...

nearly opposite the origin of the

inferior epigastric artery In human anatomy, inferior epigastric artery refers to the artery that arises from the external iliac artery. It anastomoses with the superior epigastric artery. Along its course, it is accompanied by a similarly named vein, the inferior epig ...

. It ascends obliquely and laterally, posterior to the

inguinal ligament The inguinal ligament (), also known as Poupart's ligament or groin ligament, is a band running from the pubic tubercle to the anterior superior iliac spine. It forms the base of the inguinal canal through which an indirect inguinal hernia may ...

, contained in a fibrous sheath formed by the junction of the transversalis fascia and iliac fascia. It travels to the

anterior superior iliac spine The anterior superior iliac spine ( abbreviated: ASIS) is a bony projection of the iliac bone, and an important landmark of surface anatomy. It refers to the anterior extremity of the iliac crest of the pelvis. It provides attachment for the i ...

, where it anastomoses with the ascending branch of the lateral femoral circumflex artery. It then pierces the transversalis fascia and passes medially along the inner lip of the crest of the ilium to a point where it perforates the

transversus abdominis muscle The transverse abdominal muscle (TVA), also known as the transverse abdominis, transversalis muscle and transversus abdominis muscle, is a muscle layer of the anterior and lateral (front and side) abdominal wall which is deep to (layered below) th ...

. From there, it travels posteriorly between the transversus abdominis muscle and the internal oblique muscle to anastomose with the

iliolumbar artery The iliolumbar artery is the first branch of the posterior trunk of the internal iliac artery. Structure The iliolumbar artery is the first branch of the posterior trunk of the internal iliac artery. It turns upward behind the obturator nerve and ...

and the superior gluteal artery. Opposite the

of the ilium, it gives off a large ascending branch. This branch ascends between the internal oblique muscle and the transversus abdominis muscle, supplying them, and anastomosing with the lumbar arteries and

. The deep circumflex artery serves as the primary blood supply to the anterior iliac crest bone flap.

Additional images

File:Gray577.png, The venæ cavæ and azygos veins, with their tributaries. File:Gray585.png, The veins of the right half of the male pelvis. File:Thigh arteries schema.svg, Schema of the arteries arising from the external iliac and femoral arteries.

References

External links

Photo at lumen.lumc.edu
* {{Authority control Arteries of the abdomen