Middle rectal artery
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
The middle rectal artery is an artery in the pelvis that supplies blood to the rectum.
Structure
The middle rectal artery usually arises with the inferior vesical artery, a branch of the internal iliac artery. It is distributed to the rectum, anastomosing with the inferior vesical artery, superior rectal artery, and inferior rectal artery.
In males, the middle rectal artery may give off branches to the prostate and the seminal vesicles, while in females it gives off branches to the vagina.
Additional images
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Sigmoid colon and rectum, showing distribution of branches of inferior mesenteric artery and their anastomoses.
See also
External links
- Template:SUNYAnatomyLabs - "The Female Pelvis: Branches of Internal Iliac Artery"
- Template:NormanAnatomy (Template:NormanAnatomyFig)