Arterial tree

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In anatomy, arterial tree is used to refer to all arteries and/or the branching pattern of the arteries. This article regards the human arterial tree. Starting from the aorta:

the following are the parts

Ascending aorta[]

It is a portion of the aorta commencing at the upper part of the base of the left ventricle, on a level with the lower border of the third costal cartilage behind the left half of the sternum.

Right coronary artery[]

• posterior interventricular artery (mostly)
• SA nodal artery (in 60%)
• Right marginal artery

Left coronary artery[]

• anterior interventricular
  • septal
  • diagonal
• circumflex
  • SA nodal artery (in 40%)
  • posterior interventricular artery (occasionally)
  • Left marginal arteries
  • posterolateral artery
• ramus intermedius (sometimes)

Aortic arch[]

brachiocephalic artery[]

• right common carotid artery
• right subclavian artery

left common carotid artery (directly from arch of aorta on left mostly)[]

internal carotid artery[]

• ophthalmic artery
  • Orbital group
    • Lacrimal artery
      • lateral palpebral arteries
      • zygomatic branches
      • recurrent branch
    • Supraorbital artery
      • superficial branch
      • deep branch
    • Posterior ethmoidal artery
      • meningeal branch
      • nasal branches
    • Anterior ethmoidal artery
      • anterior meningeal artery
      • nasal branches
      • superior palpebral arch
      • inferior palpebral arch
    • Supratrochlear artery
    • Dorsal nasal artery
      • twig to the upper part of lacrimal sac
      • to root of nose
      • dorsum of the nose
  • Ocular group
    • Long posterior ciliary arteries
      • Circulus arteriosus major
      • Circulus arteriosus minor
    • Short posterior ciliary arteries
    • Anterior ciliary artery
    • Central retinal artery
    • Muscular artery
• anterior cerebral artery
• middle cerebral artery
  • anterolateral central arteries
    • internal striate
    • external striate
• posterior communicating artery

external carotid artery[]

• Arising in carotid triangle^[1]
  • Superior thyroid artery
    • Hyoid (infrahyoid) artery
    • Sternocleidomastoid artery
    • Superior laryngeal artery
    • Cricothyroid artery
  • Ascending pharyngeal artery
  • Lingual artery
  • Facial artery
    • cervical
      • Ascending palatine artery
      • Tonsillar branch
      • Submental artery
        • superficial branch
        • deep branch
      • Glandular branches
    • facial
      • Inferior labial artery
      • Superior labial artery
      • Lateral nasal branch
      • Angular artery - the terminal branch
  • Occipital artery
• Posterior auricular artery
• Terminal branches
  • Maxillary artery
    • First portion
      • Deep auricular artery
      • Anterior tympanic artery
      • Middle meningeal artery
        • anterior and posterior
          • ophthalmic artery (very rarely)
          • superior tympanic artery
          • vessels to semilunar ganglion
          • superficial petrosal branch
          • Orbital branches
          • Temporal branches
      • Inferior alveolar artery
        • incisor branch
        • mental branch
        • lingual branch
        • mylohyoid branch
      • Accessory meningeal artery
    • Second portion
      • Masseteric artery
      • Pterygoid branches
      • Deep temporal arteries (anterior and posterior)
      • Buccal artery
    • Third portion
      • Sphenopalatine artery, terminal branch
        • posterior lateral nasal branches
        • posterior septal branches
      • Descending palatine artery
        • greater palatine artery
        • lesser palatine arteries
      • Infraorbital artery
        • orbital branches
        • anterior superior alveolar arteries
      • Posterior superior alveolar artery
      • branches to alveolar canals
      • branches to gingiva
      • Pharyngeal artery
      • Artery of pterygoid canal
  • Superficial temporal artery
    • Transverse facial artery
    • Middle temporal artery
    • Anterior auricular branch
    • frontal branch
    • parietal branch

Left subclavian artery (directly from arch of aorta on left)[]

vertebral artery[]

• Meningeal branches of vertebral artery
• Posterior spinal artery
  • ascending branch
  • descending branch
• Anterior spinal artery
• Posterior inferior cerebellar artery
  • medial branch
  • lateral branch
• Basilar artery
  • Anterior inferior cerebellar artery
    • labyrinthine artery
  • pontine branches

internal thoracic artery[]

• Mediastinal branches
• Thymic branches
• Pericardiophrenic artery
• Sternal branches
• Perforating branches
• six anterior intercostal branches
  • upper branches
  • lower branches of the space anastomoses
• Musculophrenic artery
  • intercostal branches (three)
  • branches to lower part of the pericardium
  • branches to diaphragm
  • branches to abdominal muscles
• Superior epigastric artery

thyrocervical trunk[]

• inferior thyroid artery
• suprascapular artery
• transverse cervical artery
  • Superficial branch
  • Deep branch/Dorsal scapular artery (sometimes)

costocervical trunk[]

• Deep cervical artery
• Supreme intercostal artery
  • 1st and 2nd posterior intercostal artery

Axillary artery[]

• Superior thoracic artery
• Thoracoacromial artery
  • acromial
  • pectoral
  • clavicular
  • deltoid
• Lateral thoracic artery
• Subscapular artery
• Anterior humeral circumflex artery
• Posterior humeral circumflex artery

Brachial artery[]

• Profunda brachii artery
  • radial collateral artery
  • medial collateral artery
  • branches to the deltoid muscle
• Superior ulnar collateral artery
  • Posterior ulnar recurrent artery
• Inferior ulnar collateral artery
  • Ascending branches
  • Descending branches
• radial artery
  • radial branches in the forearm
  • Radial recurrent artery
  • Palmar carpal branch of radial artery
  • Superficial palmar branch of the radial artery
  • radial branches at the wrist
  • Dorsal carpal branch of radial artery
  • First dorsal metacarpal artery
  • radial branches in the hand
  • Princeps pollicis artery
  • Radialis indicis
  • Deep palmar arch
• ulnar artery
  • anterior ulnar recurrent artery
  • posterior ulnar recurrent artery
  • common interosseous artery
  • posterior interosseous artery
    • interosseous recurrent artery
  • anterior interosseous artery
    • muscular branches
    • nutrient arteries of radius and ulna
    • branch to
  • muscular artery
  • volar carpal
  • palmar carpal arch
  • dorsal carpal
  • dorsal carpal arch
  • deep volar
  • superficial volar arch

Thoracic aorta[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (October 2007)

• bronchial arteries
• esophageal arteries
• mediastinal branches
• Lower 9(3rd to 11th) posterior intercostal arteries
• subcostal arteries
• superior phrenic arteries

Abdominal aorta[]

inferior phrenic[]

celiac[]

• left gastric artery
  • hepatic branch
  • oesophageal branch
• common hepatic artery
  • proper hepatic artery
    • Terminal branches
      • right hepatic artery
        • Cystic artery
      • left hepatic artery
    • right gastric artery
  • gastroduodenal artery
    • right gastro-omental artery
    • superior pancreaticoduodenal artery
• splenic artery
  • dorsal pancreatic artery
  • short gastric arteries
  • left gastro-omental artery
  • Bühler's anastomotic artery

superior mesenteric[]

• inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery
• middle colic artery
• right colic artery
• intestinal arteries
• ileocolic artery

middle suprarenal[]

renal[]

Anterior and posterior[]

interlobar artery[]

• arcuate artery
  • interlobular artery
    • afferent arteriole
    • efferent arteriole
      • descending vasa recta
      • peritubular capillaries

gonadal[]

• testicular artery in males
• ovarian artery in females

lumbar[]

inferior mesenteric[]

• left colic artery
  • ascending branch
  • descending branch
• sigmoid arteries
• superior rectal artery

median sacral[]

common iliac[]

Common iliac arteries[]

Internal iliac artery[]

Anterior division[]

• obturator artery
• superior vesical artery
• Vaginal artery (females) / inferior vesical artery (males)
• middle rectal artery
• internal pudendal artery
  • inferior rectal artery
  • perineal artery
  • posterior scrotal branches in males/posterior labial branches in females
  • urethral artery
  • artery of bulb of penis in males / artery of bulb of vestibule in females
  • dorsal artery of penis in males / dorsal artery of clitoris in females
  • deep artery of penis in males / deep artery of clitoris in females
• inferior gluteal artery
  • Accompanying artery of ischiadic nerve
• Uterine artery (females) / deferential artery (males)
  • Vaginal artery (sometimes)
• (obliterated) umbilical artery

Posterior division[]

• iliolumbar artery
  • Lumbar branch
  • Iliac branch
• lateral sacral artery
  • Superior
  • Inferior
• superior gluteal artery
  • Superficial branch
  • Deep branch

external iliac artery[]

• Inferior epigastric artery
• Deep circumflex iliac artery
• femoral artery
  • superficial epigastric artery
  • Superficial circumflex iliac artery
  • Superficial external pudendal artery
  • Deep external pudendal artery
  • Deep femoral artery
    • Lateral femoral circumflex artery
      • ascending branch
      • descending branch
      • transverse branch
    • Medial femoral circumflex artery
      • ascending branch
      • descending branch
        • superficial branch
        • deep branch
        • acetabular branch
    • Perforating arteries
      • first perforating artery
      • second perforating artery
      • third/fourth perforating artery
  • Descending genicular artery
    • Saphenous branch
    • Musculo-articular branch

Popliteal artery[]

• anterior tibial artery
  • post. tibial recurrent artery
  • ant. tibial recurrent artery
  • muscular branches
  • anterior medial malleolar artery
  • anterior lateral malleolar artery
  • Dorsalis pedis artery
• posterior tibial artery
  • fibular artery (sometimes from popliteal artery)
    • communicating branch to the anterior tibial artery
    • perforating branch to the posterior tibial artery
  • medial plantar artery
  • lateral plantar artery
• sural artery
• medial superior genicular artery
  • Branch to vastus medialis
  • Branch to surface of the femur and the knee-joint
• lateral superior genicular artery
  • superficial branch
  • deep branch
• middle genicular artery
• medial inferior genicular artery
  • branch to popliteus
• lateral inferior genicular artery

See also[]

• Family tree of major arteries

References[]