The Arteries
Anatomical description of the superior mesenteric artery
The superior mesenteric artery arises from the anterior surface of the aorta, on the middle line, at 2 cm below the origin of the coeliac artery, nearly at the level of the disc between the second and third lumbar, vertebras.
The internal mammary artery
Syn.: Thoracique interne; mammaria interna; -Innere Brustpulsader.
The internal mammary artery, of a lower diameter than the one of the vertebral artery, is remarkable by the extent of its course and by the multiplicity of its branches; it arises from the former face of the subclavian artery, at 3 or 4 mm apart from the vertebral artery. From its origin, it goes bottom, ahead, and a little medialward and reaches the posterior face of the first costal cartilage; there, it becomes vertical, perpendicularly crosses the posterior face of the first six costal cartilages, and, at the level of the sternal end of the sixth intercostal space, is divided into two terminal sections, one intern and the other extern.
Abdominal aorta
After having crossed the diaphragmatic channel, the aorta belongs to the abdominal area. Applied on the vertebral level, it is located behind the intestinal mass. The abdominal aorta moves vertically in bottom however, the diaphragmatic opening being a little on the left of the line of centers, one can say that the abdominal aorta direction continues the thoracic aorta , and only on the level of the fourth lumbar vertebra it becomes exactly median thus moves slightly on the right.
