Trunk vessels (aorta, vena cava, abdominal branches)
Inferior vena cava
Vena cava inferior
- Origin
- Formed at the L5 level by the confluence of the right and left common iliac veins behind the right common iliac artery
- Insertion
- Ascends retroperitoneally to the right of the aorta, passes through the caval opening of the diaphragm at T8, and enters the right atrium
- Function
- Largest vein in the body, returning deoxygenated blood from the lower extremities, pelvis, kidneys, and abdominal viscera (via hepatic veins) to the heart
- Innervation
- Abdominal autonomic vasomotor plexus
- Movement & chain
- Respiratory collapsibility (caval index reflecting intravascular volume status)
- Palpation
- Assessed via bedside ultrasonography (POCUS)
- Clinical
- Inferior vena cava syndrome (supine hypotensive syndrome in late pregnancy due to gravid uterine compression, relieved by left lateral tilt), IVC thrombosis, intracaval tumor thrombus from RCC, IVC filter placement for DVT.
- Segmental innervation
- T8-L5 spinal levels
- In clinical practice
- Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) IVC collapsibility index for fluid responsiveness assessment in sepsis, left lateral decubitus positioning in late pregnancy, IVC filter post-care
- Region in the model
- Trunk vessels (aorta, vena cava, abdominal branches)