VAN 121: Veterinary Gross Anatomy-II (2+2)

Internal iliac artery

INTERNAL ILIAC ARTERY
(Hypogastric arteries)

• It is the main arterial trunk, which supplies the pelvic wall and viscera. Each artery passes obliquely downwards and backwards on the sacrosciatic ligament and terminates about the level of the lesser sciatic foramen by dividing into posterior gluteal and internal pudic arteries.

 

Collateral branches

• A large common trunk, which after giving off a branch to the ureter divides into umbilical and vesical arteries in the male.
• The umbilical artery is usually obliterated in the adult.
• In the fetus it is large and runs in the free margin of the lateral ligament of bladder passes through the umbilicus and ramifies in the placenta carrying impure blood for oxygenation.
• As this artery is no longer required after birth it gradually gets atrophied and the lumen is obliterated.
• The obliterated part of the vessel forms the round ligament of the bladder.
• The vesical artery supplies the urinary bladder.
  • In the female the common trunk divides into umbilical and middle uterine arteries.
  • The former resembles that of the male and the middle uterine artery is of considerable size and supplies the horn and body of the uterus.
  • Its branches anastomose with those of the anterior uterine artery in front and posterior uterine artery behind.

• A short common trunk which divides into
  • the sixth lumbar artery
  • lateral sacral artery if the middle sacral artery is absent
  • anterior gluteal artery which passes out through the greater sacrosciatic foramen and supplies middle gluteus and deep gluteus.
• Vesico-genital artery arises from the ventral face of the internal iliac artery and supplies branches to the bladder, ureter, vas deferens, vesiculae seminalis, prostate and urethra.
• The posterior gluteal artery passes out of the pelvis through the lesser sacrosciatic foramen and supplies biceps femoris and middle gluteus.
• The internal pudic artery continues the internal iliac artery.
• It supplies branches to the bladder, urethra, obturator internus, retractor and compressor coccygeus and cutaneous branches to the skin. It then passes down the ischial arch and in the male; it divides into dorsal and deep arteries of the penis.
• The former runs superficially over the dorsum penis to the glands as the dorsal artery of the penis.
• The deep artery of the penis supplies the corpus cavernosum penis.
• In the female, it gives off a large posterior uterine artery to the uterus and vagina and terminates as the artery of the clitoris. (Locate the branches of internal iliac artery)