Lower limb
Superficial epigastric artery
Arteria epigastrica superficialis
- Origin
- Arises from the anterior aspect of the femoral artery ~1 cm below the inguinal ligament
- Insertion
- Pierces the cribriform fascia and ascends within the subcutaneous tissue of the anterior abdominal wall toward the umbilicus
- Function
- Supplies the subcutaneous tissue and skin of the lower anterior abdominal wall
- Innervation
- Sympathetic vasomotor fibers
- Movement & chain
- Courses superficial to the external oblique aponeurosis within Scarpa's fascia
- Palpation
- Not palpable through abdominal subcutaneous fat
- Clinical
- Vascular pedicle for the SIEA (Superficial Inferior Epigastric Artery) free flap used in autologous breast reconstruction without rectus muscle sacrifice
- Segmental innervation
- L1–L2 spinal roots
- In clinical practice
- Harvested in microsurgical breast reconstruction to prevent abdominal donor-site morbidity and hernias
- Region in the model
- Lower limb