Trunk vessels (aorta, vena cava, abdominal branches)
Splenic artery
Arteria splenica (Arteria lienalis)
- Origin
- Largest and most tortuous branch of the celiac trunk
- Insertion
- Runs along the superior border of the pancreatic body and tail within the splenorenal ligament to enter the splenic hilum
- Function
- Supplies the spleen, body/tail of the pancreas (via pancreatic branches), gastric fundus (short gastric arteries), and greater curvature (left gastro-omental artery)
- Innervation
- Splenic plexus
- Movement & chain
- Tortuous arterial pulsations
- Palpation
- Not palpated directly
- Clinical
- Splenic artery aneurysm (most common visceral artery aneurysm; high rupture mortality especially in the third trimester of pregnancy), splenic infarction.
- Segmental innervation
- T6-T8 spinal levels
- In clinical practice
- Surveillance for visceral artery aneurysms in multiparous women, preparation for endovascular coil embolization
- Region in the model
- Trunk vessels (aorta, vena cava, abdominal branches)