Question of Week 4a: Epigastric Arteries

Just how many epigastric arteries are there?

There are a total of eight epigastric arteries: 4 on each side.

They include the following:

a. Cranial epigastric artery (right & left)

b. Cranial superficial epigastric artery (right & left)

c. Caudal epigastric artery (right & left)

d. Caudal superficial epigastric artery (right & left)

Note the following:

• The epigastric arteries provide blood to the ventral abdominal wall.
• The cranial epigastrics anastomose with the caudal epigastrics.
• The cranial & caudal superficial epigastric arteries and their branches run in the fatty, areolar tissue beneath the skin of the ventral abdominal wall.
• The cranial & caudal epigastric arteries lie on the deep surface of the rectus abdominus muscles.