Trunk vessels (aorta, vena cava, abdominal branches)
Superior epigastric arteries
Arteria epigastrica superior (dextra et sinistra)
- Origin
- Medial terminal branch of the internal thoracic (internal mammary) artery
- Insertion
- Enters the rectus sheath posterior to the rectus abdominis, anastomosing periumbilically with the inferior epigastric artery
- Function
- Supplies the rectus abdominis muscle, superior anterior abdominal wall, and overlying skin
- Innervation
- Intercostal nerves T7-T9
- Movement & chain
- Arterial pulsatile flow
- Palpation
- Not palpated directly
- Clinical
- Forms a key longitudinal systemic-to-systemic collateral bypass (internal thoracic to external iliac) in aortic coarctation or severe aortic stenosis.
- Segmental innervation
- T7-T9 dermatomes
- In clinical practice
- Safe laparoscopy port placement (transillumination to identify and avoid epigastric vessels)
- Region in the model
- Trunk vessels (aorta, vena cava, abdominal branches)