820 



HUMAN ANATOMY. 



.1. The Deep Epigastric Artery. — The deep epigastric artery (a. epigastrica 

 inferior) (Fig. 728) arises from the anterior surface of the external iUac, a short 

 distance above where it passes beneath Poupart's Hgament. Immediately after its 

 origin it bends downward and medially to pass the lower border of the internal 

 abdominal ring, being crossed in this situation by the vas deferens in the male and the 

 round ligament of the uterus in the female. It then curves upward and medially 

 along the medial border of the internal abdominal ring and ascends along the outer 

 border of Hesselbach's triangle (page 526), of which it forms the lateral boundary. 

 Throughout this portion of its course it lies between the peritoneum and the trans- 

 versalis fascia, but at about the level of the fold of Douglas, in the posterior surface 

 of the sheath of the rectus abdominis, it pierces the fascia and ascends between the 

 muscle and the posterior layer of its sheath, eventually entering the substance of the 

 muscle, where it terminates by anastomosing with the superior epigastric branch of 

 the internal mammary artery. 



Branches. — Throughout its course the deep epigastric arter>- gives off a number of branches. 



(a) The cremasteric branch (a. spermatica externa in the male, a. ligamenti teretis in the 



female) is given off a short distance beyond the origin of the deep epigastric and accompanies 



Fig. 728. 



Anterior superior spine of ilium 



Deep circumflex iliac artery 



Deep epigastric artery 



S"^. 



^ 



External iliac artery- 

 External iliac veinL. 

 Upper part of left broad 

 ligament passing over e\- -' 

 ternal iliac artery as the in-'^ 

 fundibulo-pelvic ligament 

 Common iliac artery- 



Common iliac vein- 

 Edge of ovary^ 



Round ligament of uterus^ 



Cut edge of broad ligamenf 



B^. 



^ 



\, 



Superior 

 vesical artery 



Obturator vein 



Portion of lett half pelvis of female subject viewed from above and right 

 side, showing obturator artery arising from deep epigastric. 



the spermatic cord or round ligament of the uterus through the inguinal canal. In the male it 

 supplies the cremaster muscle and the spermatic cord, anastomosing with the spermatic and 

 deferential arteries, and in the female, in which it is small, it supplies the lower part of the 

 round ligament and terminates in the labia majora by anastomosing with branches of the super- 

 ficial perineal artery. 



(d) The pubic branch (ramus pubicus) arises a short distance beyond the cremasteric and, 

 passing either above or below the femoral ring, passes downward and inward upon the posterior 

 surface of the os pubis, where it may anastomose with the pubic branch of the obturator. It is 

 by the anastomosis and enlargement of this artery and the pubic branch of the obturator 

 that the latter vessel romes to arise so frequently from the deep epigastric (page 814). And 

 even when the obturator has its normal origin, the anastomosis may render the pubic branch of 

 the deep epigastric of considerable importance in the operation for the relief of femoral hernia. 



(c) Muscular branches, variable in number, are given off, for the most part, from the 

 outer side of the artery and supply the muscles of the abdominal walls. They anastomose with 

 branches of the lower intercostal and lumbar arteries. 



(d) Cutaneous branches, also variable in number, pierce the rectus and the anterior wall 

 of its sheath and supply the skin of the abdomen near the median line. 



