Superior rectal artery

Artery: Superior rectal artery
Sigmoid colon and rectum, showing distribution of branches of inferior mesenteric artery and their anastomoses. (Superior hemorrhoidal artery visible at center right.)
The bloodvessels of the rectum and anus, showing the distribution and anastomosis on the posterior surface near the termination of the gut. (Labeled as hemorrhoidal artery.)
Latin	arteria rectalis superior
Gray's	subject #154 610
Supplies	rectum
Source	inferior mesenteric artery
Vein	superior rectal vein
Dorlands / Elsevier	a_61/12155681

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

The superior rectal artery (superior hemorrhoidal artery) is an artery that descends into the pelvis to supply blood to the rectum.

Structure

The superior rectal artery is the continuation of the inferior mesenteric artery. It descends into the pelvis between the layers of the mesentery of the sigmoid colon, crossing the left common iliac artery and vein.

It divides, opposite the third sacral vertebra into two branches, which descend one on either side of the rectum. About 10 or 12 cm from the anus, these branches break up into several small branches.

These pierce the muscular coat of the bowel and run downward, as straight vessels, placed at regular intervals from each other in the wall of the gut between its muscular and mucous coats, to the level of the internal anal sphincter; here they form a series of loops around the lower end of the rectum, and communicate with the middle rectal artery (from the internal iliac artery) and with the inferior rectal artery (from the internal pudendal artery).

Additional images

• 

  The posterior aspect of the rectum exposed by removing the lower part of the sacrum and the coccyx.

See also

• Middle rectal artery
• Inferior rectal artery

External links

• SUNY Figs 39:02-06 - "Branches of the inferior mesenteric artery."
• SUNY Labs 39:05-0112 - "Intestines and Pancreas: Branches of the Inferior Mesenteric Artery"
• Norman/Georgetown sup&infmesentericart
• Norman/Georgetown pelvis (pelvicarteries)

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.