Lumbar artery

Lumbar artery

The lumbar arteries, as illustrated in Gray's Anatomy.

The Lumbar arteries are a group of arteries in the human body that supply blood to the lumbar region and the abdominal wall. They are usually four in number on either side and arise from the back of the aorta, opposite the bodies of the lumbar vertebrae.

Structure

The lumbar arteries are smaller than the intercostal arteries, to which they are analogous. They run lateralward and backward on the bodies of the lumbar vertebrae, behind the sympathetic trunk, to the gaps between the adjacent vertebrae, where they divide into an anterior and a posterior branch.

The lumbar arteries and their branches.

Anterior branches

The anterior branches of the lumbar arteries supply the quadratus lumborum and psoas major muscles, and the lumbar vertebrae and intervertebral discs. They anastomose with the lower intercostal, subcostal, and lumbar arteries of the opposite side, and with the iliolumbar artery and the lateral sacral artery.

Posterior branches

The posterior branches of the lumbar arteries supply the muscles and skin of the back. They anastomose with the posterior branches of the lower intercostal arteries and with the lateral sacral artery.

Clinical significance

Knowledge of the lumbar arteries is important in a number of surgical procedures, including lumbar puncture, lumbar sympathectomy, and lumbar spine surgery. Damage to these arteries can result in significant bleeding.

See also

• Aorta
• Lumbar vertebrae
• Lumbar region
• Intercostal arteries