General, internal and external iliac arteries

The common iliac artery (a. Iliaca communis) is paired, formed when the abdominal part of the aorta is divided (bifurcated); Its length is 5-7 cm, its diameter is 11.0-12.5 mm. The arteries diverge in the sides, go down and out at an angle that women have more than men. At the level of the sacroiliac joint, the common iliac artery is divided into two large branches, the inner and outer iliac arteries.

The internal iliac artery (a.iliaca interna) descends the medial edge of the large lumbar muscle down into the cavity of the small pelvis and divides into the posterior and anterior branches (trunks) at the upper edge of the large sciatic foramen, which supply blood to the walls and organs of the small pelvis. The branches of the internal iliac artery are iliac-lumbar, middle rectal, upper and lower gluteal, umbilical, inferior ileus, uterine, internal sexual and occlusive arteries.

The iliac-lumbar, lateral sacral, upper and lower gluteal and occlusive arteries are directed to the pelvic wall.

To the internal organs located in the cavity of the small pelvis, go umbilical, lower urodubular, uterine, middle rectal and internal genital artery.

[1], [2], [3], [4], [5]

The parietal branches of the internal iliac artery

1. The ilio-lumbar artery (a iliolumbalis) goes behind the large lumbar muscle back and lateral and gives off two branches:
   • The lumbar branch (r. Lumbalis) is sent to the large lumbar muscle and square lumbar muscle. From it departs a thin spinal branch (r. Spinalis), directed to the sacral canal;
   • the iliac branch (r. Illiacus) supplies the iliac bone and the same muscle, anastomosing with the deep artery surrounding the iliac bone (from the external iliac artery).
2. Lateral artery sacrales laterales, upper and lower, are directed to the bones and muscles of the sacral region. Their spinal branches (r. Spinales) go through the anterior sacral orifices to the membranes of the spinal cord.
3. The upper gluteal artery (a. Glutealis superior) emerges from the pelvis through the peri-picus orifice, where it divides into two branches:
   • the superficial branch (r. Superficialis) goes to the buttock muscles and to the skin of the gluteal region;
   • the deep branch (r. Profundus) breaks up into the upper and lower branches (rr superior and inferior), which supply the gluteal muscles, mainly the middle and small, and the adjacent pelvic muscles. The lower branch, in addition, participates in the blood supply of the hip joint.

The upper gluteal artery anastomoses with the branches of the lateral artery enveloping the femur (from the deep thigh artery).

4. The lower gluteal artery (a. Glutealis inferior) is guided along with the inner genital artery and sciatic nerve through the podrugus aperture to the gluteus maximus, gives the thin long artery accompanying the sciatic nerve (a. Comitans nervi ischiadici).
5. The obstructive artery (a. Obturatoria), along with the eponymous nerve on the side wall of the small pelvis, is guided through the occlusion channel to the femur, where it divides into the anterior and posterior branches. The anterior branch (r. Anterior) blood supply to the external blocking and adductor muscles of the thigh, as well as the skin of the external genital organs. The posterior branch (r.posterior) also supplies the external obturator and supplies the acetabularis (acetabularis) to the hip joint. The acetabular branch not only nourishes the walls of the acetabulum, but in the ligament of the head of the femur reaches the head of the thigh. In the pelvic cavity, the obstruction artery gives off the pubic branch (r. Pubicus), which in the medial semicircle of the deep ring of the femoral canal is anastomosed with the obturator branch from the lower epigastric artery. With developed anastomosis (in 30% of cases), it can be damaged by hernia repair (the so-called corona mortis).

Visceral (internal) branches of the internal iliac artery

1. The umbilical artery (a. Umbilicalis) extends throughout the entire length of the embryo; goes forward and up, rises on the back side of the anterior abdominal wall (under the peritoneum) to the navel. The adult person is preserved as a medial umbilical ligament. From the initial part of the umbilical artery depart:
   • upper arteries (aa. Vesicales superiores) give the ureteral branches (r. Ureterici) to the lower part of the ureter;
   • artery of the vas deferentis (a. Ductus deferentis).
2. The lower colibrium artery (a. Vesicalis inferior) in men gives branches to the seminal vesicles and prostate gland, and in women - to the vagina.
3. The uterine artery (a. Uterina) descends into the cavity of the small pelvis, crosses the ureter and reaches the neck of the uterus between the sheets of the wide uterine ligament. It gives the vaginal branches (r. Vaginales), the tubal branch (r. Tubarius) and the ovarian branch (r. Ovaricus), which in the mesentery of the ovary anastomoses with the branches of the ovarian artery (from the abdominal part of the aorta).
4. The middle rectal artery (a. Rectalis media) is directed to the lateral wall of the ampulla of the rectum, to the muscle that raises the anus; gives branches to the seminal vesicles and prostate gland in men and to the vagina - in women. It is anatomized with the branches of the upper and lower rectal intimal arteries.
5. The internal sexual artery (a.pudenda interna) emerges from the pelvic cavity through the subclavicular opening, and then through the small sciatic foramina to the ischium-rectum fossa, where it lies on the inner surface of the inner occlusal muscle. In the sciatic and rectum fossa, it gives the lower rectal artery (a rectalis inferior), and then divides into the perineal artery (a. Perinealis) and radishes other vessels. In men, it is the urethral artery (a. Urethralis), the artery of the bulb of the penis (a. Bulbi penis), the deep and dorsal arteries of the penis (aa., Profunda et dorsalis penis). In women, the urethral artery (a. Urethralis), the artery bulb vestibule [vagina] bulbi (vaginae), the deep and dorsal arteries of the clitoris (aa., Profunda et dorsalis clitoridis).

The external iliac artery (a. Iliaca externa) serves as a continuation of the common iliac artery. Through the vascular lacuna it is directed to the thigh, where it receives the name of the femoral artery. The following branches branch out from the external iliac artery.

1. The lower epigastric artery (a. Epigastrica inferior) rises along the back side of the anterior abdominal wall retroperitoneum to the rectus abdominis muscle. From the initial section of this artery, the pubic branch (r. Pubicus) extends to the pubic bone and its periosteum. From the pubic branch is separated a thin blocking branch (r. Obturatorius), anastomosing with the pubic branch from the occlusion artery, and the cremasteric artery (a. Cremasterica - in men). The cremasterial artery departs from the lower epigastric artery at the deep inguinal ring, blood supply to the membranes of the spermatic cord and testicle, and also to the muscle that lifts the testicle. In women of this artery, the artery of the round ligament of the uterus (a lig.teretis uteri), which in the composition of this ligament reaches the skin of the external genital organs.
2. A deep artery surrounding the iliac bone (a. Circumflexa iliaca profunda) runs along the crest of the ilium to the back, gives branches to the abdominal muscles and nearby pelvic muscles; anastomosing with branches of the ilio-lumbar artery.