646 ABDOMEN 



THE PELVIC BLOOD-VESSELS. 



The manner in which the pelvic blood-vessels should be 

 dissected has been described on p. 597. In the female the 

 dissector will find three arteries which were either not studied 

 at all, or not under the same name in the dissection of 

 the male pelvis, viz. 



i Tte vlginat } branches of the 



3. The ovarian, from the abdominal aorta. 



Arteria Uterina. The uterine artery springs either from 

 the anterior division of the hypogastric or from the umbilical 

 artery. It runs downwards in front of the vertical part of the 

 pelvic portion of the ureter, and then medially along the lower 

 border of the broad ligament and above the lower part of the 

 ureter (Figs. 249, 252). Having crossed the ureter it passes 

 above the lateral fornix of the vagina and turns upwards along 

 the side of the uterus. It ends by anastomosing with branches 

 of the ovarian artery beneath the isthmus of the uterine tube. 

 It gives branches to the uterus, the vagina, and the isthmus of 

 the uterine tube, and frequently it supplies twigs to the ovary. 



Arteria Vaginalis. The vaginal artery springs from the 

 anterior division of the hypogastric artery. It probably 

 represents the inferior vesical artery of the male, and whilst 

 it is distributed mainly to the vagina it gives twigs also to the 

 base of the bladder and to the rectum. 



Arteria Ovarica. The ovarian artery corresponds to the 

 internal spermatic artery of the male, and the abdominal part 

 of its course is similar to that of the latter artery. When 

 it arrives at the pelvis it crosses the upper part of the ex- 

 ternal iliac vessels, and insinuates itself between the two 

 layers of the broad ligament, where they form the suspen- 

 sory ligament of the ovary. It is highly tortuous, and is 

 enclosed in the terminal part of its extent in ^he coils 

 of the pampiniform plexus formed by the veins which issue 

 from the hilus of the ovary. Its terminal branches are 

 mainly distributed to the ovary, which they enter at the hilus, 

 but some pass on to anastomose with branches of the uterine 

 artery. It supplies twigs to the uterine tube also. 



The remaining arteries of the female pelvis correspond 

 very closely to those of the male, of which descriptions will 

 be found on pp. 598-601. 



