Artery Epigastric Inferior

The inferior epigastric artery is called a. epigatricus inferior. It is a branch of a. abdominalis, which in turn is a branch of a. brachiocephalicus. Accordingly, the artery begins either from the lower edge of the IV thoracic vertebra, or from the costal arch of the I, II ribs.

The artery is responsible for feeding the intestines, greater and lesser omentum, external genitalia, rectum, and the skin of the abdomen, including the navel. Due to the fact that the artery runs from bottom to top parallel to the long axis of the body and slightly to the right, some anatomists call it the “artery of the penis.”