Age-related characteristics of arteries

After the birth of a child, as the child ages, the circumference, diameter, thickness of the walls of the arteries and their length increase. The level of departure of the arterial branches from the main arteries and even the type of their branching also changes. The diameter of the left coronary artery is larger than the diameter of the right coronary artery in people of all age groups. The most significant differences in the diameter of these arteries are observed in newborns and children aged 10-14 years. In people over 75 years old, the diameter of the right coronary artery is slightly larger than the diameter of the left. In young children, the diameter of the common carotid artery is 3-6 mm, and in adults it is 9-14 mm. The diameter of the subclavian artery increases most intensively from the moment of birth to 4 years. In the first 10 years of life, the middle artery has the largest diameter of all the cerebral arteries. In early childhood, almost all intestinal arteries are of the same diameter. The difference between the diameter of the main arteries and the diameter of their 2nd and 3rd order branches is small at first, but as the child ages, this difference also increases. The diameter of the main arteries grows faster than the diameter of their branches. During the first 5 years of a child's life, the diameter of the ulnar artery increases more intensively than the radial artery, but later the diameter of the radial artery prevails. The circumference of the arteries also increases. Thus, the circumference of the ascending aorta in newborns is 17-23 mm, at 4 years - 39 mm, at 15 years - 49 mm, in adults - 60 mm. The thickness of the walls of the ascending aorta grows very intensively up to 13 years, and the common carotid artery stabilizes after 7 years. The area of the lumen of the ascending aorta also increases rapidly - from 23 mm2 ⁱⁿ newborns to 107.2 mm2 ⁱⁿ twelve-year-olds, which is consistent with the increase in the size of the heart and cardiac output. The length of the arteries increases proportionally to the growth of the body and limbs. For example, the length of the descending aorta increases almost 4 times by the age of 50, while the length of the thoracic aorta increases faster than the abdominal one. The arteries that supply the brain develop most intensively until the age of 3-4 years, surpassing other vessels in growth rates. The anterior cerebral artery grows in length most rapidly. With age, the arteries that supply the internal organs and the arteries of the upper and lower limbs also lengthen. Thus, in newborns and infants, the inferior mesenteric artery is 5-6 cm long, and in adults - 16-17 cm.

The level of branching from the main arteries in newborns and children is usually located more proximally, and the angles at which these vessels branch off are larger in children than in adults. The radius of curvature of the arcs formed by the vessels also changes. For example, in newborns and children under 12 years of age, the aortic arch has a larger radius of curvature than in adults.

In proportion to the growth of the body and limbs and, accordingly, the increase in the length of their arteries, there is a partial change in the topography of these vessels. The older the person, the lower the aortic arch. In newborns, the aortic arch is above the level of the 1 thoracic vertebra, at 17-20 years old - at level II, at 25-30 years old - at level III, at 40-45 years old - at the height of the IV thoracic vertebra, and in elderly and old people - at the level of the intervertebral disc between the IV and V thoracic vertebrae. The topography of the arteries of the limb also changes. For example, in a newborn, the projection of the ulnar artery corresponds to the anteromedial edge of the ulna, and the radial artery - to the anteromedial edge of the radius. With age, the ulnar and radial arteries move laterally relative to the midline of the forearm. In children over 10 years old, these arteries are located and projected in the same way as in adults. The projections of the femoral and popliteal arteries in the first years of a child's life also shift laterally from the midline of the thigh, with the projection of the femoral artery approaching the medial edge of the femur, and the projection of the popliteal artery approaching the midline of the popliteal fossa. A change in the topography of the palmar arches is observed. The superficial palmar arch in newborns and young children is located proximal to the middle of the second and third metacarpal bones. In adults, this arch is projected at the level of the middle of the third metacarpal bone.

As age increases, the type of branching of the arteries also changes. Thus, in a newborn, the type of branching of the coronary arteries is scattered, by 6-10 years, the main type is formed, which is preserved throughout the person's life.

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