Anatomy study note · Abdomen

Iliac arteries

The common iliac arteries arise at L4 and run along the psoas to divide in front of the sacroiliac joint into the external and internal iliac arteries. The external iliac artery follows the pelvic brim and passes under the inguinal ligament to become the femoral artery.

Key points

• Common iliac: L4 → front of the sacroiliac joint.
• Ureter crosses the bifurcation.
• External iliac → femoral artery under the inguinal ligament.
• Gives inferior epigastric + deep circumflex iliac.
• Iliac arteries: 5th lumbar intersegmental.
• Umbilical artery → superior vesical + medial umbilical ligament.
• Artery: intima / media (smooth muscle) / adventitia.
• Most named arteries are muscular; aorta is elastic.

The full note in the atlas also covers

Relations · Branches · Histology · Development · Clinical notes

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Written from

• Snell’s Clinical Anatomy by Regions, 10th ed., ch. 7, PDF pp. 957–958
• Inderbir Singh’s Human Embryology, ch. 15, PDF p. 259
• BRS Cell Biology & Histology, 7th ed., ch. 11, PDF pp. 197–199

More from the abdomen

• Iliacus
• Iliohypogastric and ilioinguinal nerves
• Inferior epigastric vessels
• Inferior mesenteric artery
• Inferior vena cava
• Inguinal ligament
• Internal oblique
• Jejunum and ileum
• Kidney
• Large intestine
• Linea alba
• Liver

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