Deep circumflex iliac artery
Arteria circumflexa iliaca profunda
- Latin synonym: Arteria circumflexa ilium profunda
Definition
The deep iliac circumflex artery arises from the lateral aspect of the external iliac artery, nearly opposite the inferior epigastric artery.
It ascends obliquely lateralward behind the inguinal ligament, contained in a fibrous sheath formed by the junction of the transversalis fascia and iliac fascia, to the anterior superior iliac spine, where it anastomoses with the ascending branch of the lateral femoral circumflex artery. It then pierces the transversalis fascia and passes along the inner lip of the crest of the ilium to about its middle, where it perforates the Transversus, and runs backward between that muscle and the Obliquus internus, to anastomose with the iliolumbar and superior gluteal arteries.
Opposite the anterior superior spine of the ilium it gives off a large branch, the ascending branch of deep circumflex iliac artery, which ascends between the Obliquus internus and Transversus muscles, supplying them, and anastomosing with the lumbar arteries and inferior epigastric artery.
References
This definition incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy (20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, published in 1918 – from http://www.bartleby.com/107/).
