Corpus: Internal iliac artery

The internal iliac artery is a short, thick branch of the common iliac artery that supplies the pelvic organs and the gluteal muscles.

The internal iliac artery is slightly smaller than the external iliac artery and is about 4 cm long. It arises at the level of the lumbosacral joint from the bifurcation of the common iliac artery. In its further course it runs caudally over the cranial edge of the greater sciatic foramen and divides into an anterior and a posterior branch, which immediately divide further.

The following structures lie in relation to the internal iliac artery:

• ventral: ureter
• dorsal: internal iliac vein, lumbosacral trunk, piriformis muscle
• lateral: external iliac vein, psoas major muscle
• caudal: obturator nerve

The anatomy of the internal iliac artery is very variable, as many arteries dependent on it can arise directly from the main trunk or as a sub-branch of a direct vascular branch. In this respect, the branches shown in the following list represent only one possible constellation.

4.1. Posterior branch

• Iliolumbal artery (parietal)
• Lateral sacral artery (parietal)
• Superior gluteal artery (parietal)

4.2. Anterior branch

• uterine artery (only in women, visceral)
• Internal pudendal artery (visceral)
• Umbilical artery (in the foetal circulation, visceral)
• Medial rectal artery (visceral)
• Obturator artery (parietal)
• Vaginal artery (only in women, visceral) - can also originate from the uterine artery
• Inferior vesical artery (visceral)
• Inferior gluteal artery (parietal)

The internal iliac artery supplies the pelvic wall, the pelvic viscera, the reproductive organs, the buttocks and the medial parts of the thigh with arterial blood.