Vessel
Inferior mesenteric artery
Artery of the hindgut
High-yield
Supplies hindgut (distal 1/3 transverse colon → upper rectum). The splenic flexure is a watershed zone vulnerable to ischemia.
Overview
The unpaired branch of the abdominal aorta at L3 that supplies the hindgut, from the distal transverse colon to the upper rectum.
Reference facts
- Type
Muscular artery
- Origin
Abdominal aorta (L3)
- Branches / tributaries
Left colic artery; Sigmoid arteries; Superior rectal artery
- Supplies
Hindgut: distal third of the transverse colon, descending and sigmoid colon, and upper rectum
- Course
Arises from the anterior aorta at L3 and descends to the left into the pelvis