In human anatomy

Human anatomy

Human anatomy is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the human body. Anatomy is subdivided into gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy. Gross anatomy is the study of anatomical structures that can be seen by the naked eye...

, the marginal artery of the colon, also known as the marginal artery of Drummond and artery of Drummond (named after Sir David Drummond

David Drummond (academic)

Professor Sir David Drummond C.B.E., K.B.E. was a British physician and President of the British Medical Association. He was Warden and Vice-Chancellor of Durham University from 1920–1922, having also served as the President of the University's College of Medicine in Newcastle.Drummond studied...

 (1852-1932) an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 physician

Physician

A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...

), is a blood vessel

Blood vessel

The blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that transports blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the arteries, which carry the blood away from the heart; the capillaries, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and...

 that anastomoses (connects) the inferior mesenteric artery

Inferior mesenteric artery

In human anatomy, the inferior mesenteric artery, often abbreviated as IMA, supplies the large intestine from the left colic flexure to the upper part of the rectum, which includes the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, and part of the rectum...

 (IMA) with the superior mesenteric artery

Superior mesenteric artery

In human anatomy, the superior mesenteric artery arises from the anterior surface of the abdominal aorta, just inferior to the origin of the celiac trunk, and supplies the intestine from the lower part of the duodenum through two-thirds of the transverse colon, as well as the pancreas.-Location...

 (SMA). It is sometimes absent, as an anatomical variant.

Clinical relevance

Along with branches of the internal iliac arteries

Internal iliac artery

The internal iliac artery is the main artery of the pelvis.-Structure:The internal iliac artery supplies the walls and viscera of the pelvis, the buttock, the reproductive organs, and the medial compartment of the thigh...

, it is usually sufficiently large to supply the oxygenated blood

Blood

Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....

 to the large intestine

Large intestine

The large intestine is the third-to-last part of the digestive system — — in vertebrate animals. Its function is to absorb water from the remaining indigestible food matter, and then to pass useless waste material from the body...

 covered by the inferior mesenteric artery and is a reason that in abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Abdominal aortic aneurysm

Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a localized dilatation of the abdominal aorta exceeding the normal diameter by more than 50 percent, and is the most common form of aortic aneurysm...

 the inferior mesenteric artery does not have to be re-implanted (re-attached) into the repaired abdominal aorta

Abdominal aorta

The abdominal aorta is the largest artery in the abdominal cavity. As part of the aorta, it is a direct continuation of the descending aorta .-Path:...

.

The Marginal Artery of Drummond runs in the mesentery

Mesentery

In anatomy, the mesentery is the double layer of peritoneum that suspends the jejunum and ileum from the posterior wall of the abdomen. Its meaning, however, is frequently extended to include double layers of peritoneum connecting various components of the abdominal cavity.-Mesentery :The...

 close to the bowel as part of the vascular arcade that connects the SMA and IMA. This artery is almost always present and its absence should be considered a variant.

The Arc of Riolan, also known as the Meandering Mesenteric artery, is another vascular arcade present in the colonic mesentery that connect the proximal Middle Colic artery with the proximal IMA. This artery is found low in the mesentery, near the root.

See also

• Marginal branch of the right coronary artery, sometimes referred to as the marginal artery.
• Marginal artery (disambiguation)

External links

• Abdomen - University of Manitoba
  University of Manitoba
  The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
  
  - "Branches of the superior mesenteric artery." - "Branches of the inferior mesenteric artery."