544 ABDOMEN 



It receives the following tributaries : 



1. The common iliac veins. 



2. The lumbar veins. 



3. The right internal spermatic or ovarian vein. 



4. The renal veins. 



5. The right suprarenal vein. 



6. The inferior phrenic veins. 



7. The hepatic veins. 



Arterise Iliacae Communes (Common Iliac Arteries). The 

 two terminal branches of the aorta should next be examined. 

 They arise upon the front of the body of the fourth lumbar 

 vertebra to the left of the median plane and, diverging from 

 each other, proceed downwards and laterally upon the vertebral 

 column. After a course of about two inches, each vessel ends 

 opposite the sacro-iliac articulation at the level of the lumbo- 

 sacral articulation by dividing into an external iliac and a hypo- 

 gastric (O.T. internal iliac] branch ; of these the external 

 iliac is the larger of the two, and appears to be the con- 

 tinuation of the parent trunk, whilst the hypogastric passes 

 downwards into the pelvis. 



The common iliac artery of each side is covered by 

 peritoneum, and overlapped by coils of the small intestine ; 

 furthermore, it is crossed by the large sympathetic twigs 

 which connect the aortic and hypogastric plexuses, and, close 

 to its termination, by the ureter. On the left side the superior 

 haemorrhoidal vessels also pass in front of the common iliac 

 artery. 



The left common iliac artery is in relation posteriorly with 

 the bodies of the last two lumbar vertebrae, the left sympa- 

 thetic cord and the medial margin of the psoas muscle. The 

 right artery is separated from the vertebrae and the sympa- 

 thetic cord by the two common iliac veins and the commence- 

 ment of the inferior vena cava. 



No collateral branches of any consequence proceed from 

 the common iliac artery. 



Venae Iliacse Communes (Common Iliac Veins). The 

 left common iliac vein is much longer than the right, and 

 stands in relation to both arteries of the same name. It 

 first lies along the medial or right side of its companion artery, 

 and on a posterior plane, then it passes behind the upper part 

 of the right artery to reach the vena cava inferior. The 

 right common iliac vein lies behind its companion artery, 

 and behind the upper part of the artery it joins with the left 



