Abdominal aorta

Aorta abdominalis

CardiovascularBlood vesselsAbdomen

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What it is

Enters the abdomen through the aortic hiatus at T12 and descends in front of the lumbar vertebral bodies, slightly left of the midline, dividing into the two common iliac arteries at L4 (about the level of the umbilicus and iliac crests).

Function

Supplies the gut (coeliac trunk, superior and inferior mesenteric arteries), kidneys, adrenals, gonads and the posterior body wall.

Size

~13 cm long; ~2 cm tapering to ~1.7 cm diameter (over 3 cm counts as aneurysmal).

Clinical note

Abdominal aortic aneurysms are mostly below the renal arteries; a pulsatile mass above the umbilicus can be felt in thin people, and ultrasound screening is offered to older men.