Anatomical Features of the Superior Vesical Artery and İts Relationship with Neighboring Arteries
Background
The superior vesical artery (SVA) is one of the important arteries that supply the urinary bladder. This study aimed to investigate anatomical features of the SVA, its morphometric relationships with neighboring arteries.
Methods
Totally, 102 (52 male and 50 female) fresh cadavers were dissected. The lengths of the common iliac artery (LCIA) and the internal iliac artery (LIIA) were measured. The distances between the umbilical and the first superior vesical arteries (UmbA-First SVA), and the umbilical and the last superior vesical arteries (UmbA-Last SVA) were calculated. The distance between the uterine and the first superior vesical arteries (UA-First SVA) was measured. The measurements were conducted in millimeters using the ImageJ software program.
Results
The mean LCIA was 60.75 ± 15.03 mm on the right and 61.96 ± 16.17 mm on the left. The mean LIIA was 34.19 ± 14.33 mm on the right and 32.02 ± 14.58 mm on the left. The number of SVA ranged from 1 to 4. The mean UmbA-First SVA and UmbA-Last SVA were 14.59 ± 13.80 mm and 31.12 ± 17.47 mm for the right, respectively. Additionally, the mean UmbA-First SVA and UmbA-Last SVA were 13.87 ± 13.06 mm and 35.90 ± 18.26 mm for the left, respectively. A statistically significant difference was found for UmbA-First SVA according to gender and for UmbA-Last SVA according to sides. Lastly, the mean UA-First SVA was 18.05 ± 9.26 mm on the right and 23.39 ± 13.47 mm on the left.
Conclusion
The results of the study may guide clinicians in bladder-focused pelvic surgeries, oncological treatments, endovascular operations, and interventional radiologic treatments.
